The Caps go with rookie goalie Braden Holtby tonight against Edmonton – though fellow rookie Michal Neuvirth is able to serve as the backup. He was late to the morning skate thanks to a doctor’s appointment and spent some time on the ice after his teammates were already finished. Semyon Varlamov (knee injury) skated for the first time since last week, though he didn’t last long out there. Varlamov hasn’t played since Feb. 20 against Buffalo.
Holtby, who will start for the eighth time this season, stopped all 21 shots he saw in relief of Neuvirth on Monday night at Tampa Bay. A puck to the mask in the first period knocked Neuvirth to the ice and eventually from the game. But despite a few jaw-dropping saves and some solid work in the shootout, Holtby wasn’t singing his own praises too loud after that one
“Oh, there was rust. There was a lot of rust,” Holtby said after Tuesday’s optional practice. “Especially in the second period. Got quite lucky with a number of rebounds off my glove and the first shot went off the post. But I got back into it a bit quicker than I was expecting and felt pretty comfortable at the end of the game.”
Holbty isn’t that far removed from an injury scare of his own. He hurt his knee playing with AHL Hershey on Feb. 23 at the Toronto Marlies. The injury happened during the shootout, but Holtby said team trainers told him it could have just been scar tissue breaking up. He didn’t even get a chance to test himself with the Bears again before Varlamov’s injury issues in the NHL forced the Caps to recall him.
“You can practice as much as you want, but a game is a totally different thing,” Holtby said. “Obviously I haven’t played a ton of games, more practices than games, so that was something that I was able to work on. Just the patience factor I think. Especially with my knee not feeling as well as it usually does. I think I had to just force myself to be more patient. It was kind of a blessing in disguise.”
Holtby, 21, is 5-2-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in nine NHL games this season. In the AHL he has played 23 games with a .930 save percentage – ranked second in that league – and a 1.98 goals-against average. He had a few shaky performances in an earlier recall this season. But Holtby’s last four games have been impressive: 3-0-1 while stopping 108 of 111 shots on goal (.973).
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