Rookie goalie named NHL’s First Star of the Week, but his status with Washington depends on Varlamov’s health
It was just one week, one tiny slice of a season and maybe a promising career. But it is one thing for the Capitals to talk about having three talented young goalies in their system. It is another to see them all have success at the NHL level.
Rookie Braden Holtby became the third Washington goalie this season to earn NHL honors when he was named the league’s First Star on Monday. The 21-year-old — filling in for injured Michal Neuvirth (eye) and Semyon Varlamov (knee) — went 4-0 with a 1.05 goals-against average in four games last week. He stopped 110 of 114 shots in three starts and two periods of relief at Tampa Bay and helped the Caps extend their winning streak to eight games.
“It’s nice to see that you’re getting recognized a bit,” Holtby said. “But at the same time it’s only one week. I want to keep this going and keep this winning streak going as long as we can.”
Holtby said during a conference call on Monday that he didn’t know if he would remain the starter when the Caps play at Montreal on Tuesday night. Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said over the weekend that Neuvirth, 22, is healthy and ready to play. Ideally, the Caps would know who the No. 1 goalie would be before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin the second week of April. But with Varlamov, 22, yet to return and Holtby playing so well that decision remains unresolved with just 12 regular-season games left.
“They’re not making it easy on me,” Boudreau said after Sunday’s 4-3 win over Chicago.
Holtby has a .965 save percentage over the last four games, which included a shutout of Edmonton, 40 saves against Carolina and wins over likely playoff teams Chicago and Tampa Bay. In his last seven NHL appearances over two separate recalls from AHL Hershey, Holtby has stopped 197 of 204 shots and has two shutouts. Those three goals allowed on nine shots in Atlanta on Nov. 19 and the 5-0 shellacking in New Jersey on Nov. 22 — his last NHL games until Jan. 20 — are a distant memory now.
What Holtby doesn’t have is the playoff experience of Varlamov or the regular-season longevity of Neuvirth. But with his recent play, Holtby has at least given the organization confidence he can man the position in the postseason, if needed. That’s a critical first step. But Holtby isn’t exactly penciling himself in for Game 1 of the first round, either.
“It’s a rare position where only one player gets to play. But you don’t really think about it too much,” Holtby said. “Especially in my situation I’m trying to take every game I get to improve and make sure that I can build on the game before and keep learning. We’ll see. I think we’ll be confident in whoever the coaching staff decides and I’m just hoping I can make my stay last up here and get a few more games.”
Holtby is the team’s third goalie to win NHL honors this season after Varlamov was First Star for the week ending Jan. 3 and Neuvirth was rookie of the month in October. Even if he doesn’t start against the Canadiens, Holtby will likely get another chance this week. The Caps begin the first leg of six consecutive games on the road thanks to Verizon Center hosting the NCAA tournament. The current trip includes games at Detroit on Wednesday and at New Jersey on Friday. If Varlamov isn’t ready — and he only began skating again late last week — then Holtby will remain.
No stranger to success, Holtby was an ECHL All-Star for South Carolina in 2009-10 and an AHL All-Star with Hershey this season. He ranks second in the AHL in save percentage (.930) and third in goals-against average (1.98) with 23 games played in that league to go with 12 NHL appearances. Holtby was a fourth-round draft pick by the Caps in 2008 so he doesn’t quite have the pedigree of Varlamov, a first-round selection, or Neuvirth, a high second-rounder. But he’s never let their presence atop the organizational depth chart deter him, either.
“I think it probably plays into everyone’s mind when they’re in the minors — when they’re going to get their shot,” Holtby said. “But at the same time I’ve always been a firm believer that if you’re good enough to play at a level — this being the NHL — that you’ll get that shot no matter what. You don’t see very many guys that go through their career with NHL skills that don’t get an opportunity. I was just trying to prove myself at Hershey and make sure that if I did get an opportunity that I’d be ready to try and give it my best shot.”
