After a breakout year last season, Caps goaltender Braden Holtby has already placed his name in the hat for Vezina contenders.
Through 19 starts this season, Holtby has already racked up 15 wins and a 1.95 goals against, both tops in the league. Holtby's 4-0 campaign last week even earned him the NHL's Second Star of the Week as he extended his current win streak to 7 games.
Holtby has been solid when called upon this season. He's faced multiple 30+ save games including a 33 save performance against the Oilers which earned him his first shut out of the year.
The Caps inconsistency on the scoreboard has made Holtby even more valuable than he was last year, but Holtby knows there is always room for improvement in every aspect of the game.
“The way to get better at this point is to recognize things earlier and fix them as fast as you can,… Holtby said. “Not many drastic changes, but realizing if you’re getting away with things, even when you’re not getting scored on. That’s what Mitch is very good at and we’re trying to approach it that way.…
Mitch, of course, is the legendary Mitch Korn. He joined the Capitals last year as part of the new coaching staff, and since then Holtby's potential has blossomed. However, both know that the young goalie still has a ways to go before he can be called an "elite netminder"
“We’re trying to continue where we were last year and find areas to fix,… Holtby said. “There’s still always areas that get exposed that you didn’t know were there before.…
With a new contract and a new persona, Braden Holtby is leading the charge for the Capitals. For a team who has always leaned on its offense, especially a certain superstar forward, the Capitals are finally leaning on their backend and pushing forward starting with Holtby's steady netminding.
Washington now finds themselves first in the Metro Division after 22 games with a 17-5-1 record and 35 points. They're in a good spot so far this season, but even Holtby recognizes they need to be better if they want to stay atop the East.
“I think we’re where we want to be points-wise,… Holtby said. “I don‘t think we’re happy with where our game’s at. It’s been good and it’s been bad and it hasn’t been very consistent and that’s one thing we’re going to have to improve on if we want to have continued success."
Braden Holtby finished fourth in Vezina Trophy votes last season. So far, his numbers are good enough to land him another nomination, and he does have a chance to beat out early season favorites Henrik Lundqvist and Carey Price.
With November winding down and a 1/4 of the season over, it's way too early to tell just how much better Holtby can be. It really all depends on how much better the team in front of him wants to play and if they can keep up that consistency for 60 more games and into the playoffs.
Chime in: Do you think Holtby can lead the Caps to playoff success?
More to come...