MONTREAL — “That’s why he’s the best goalie right now,” said Alexander Ovechkin.
He wasn’t talking about Carey Price, who’s worn that label for the last three years and was in the opposing net for the Washington Capitals‘ 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.
Ovechkin was referring to Braden Holtby, who allowed only 22 goals on 324 shots in the month of January and helped vault his team to the top of the NHL standings.
There’s plenty of support for his statement.
Take a gander at all the key goaltending stats, and you’ll see Holtby neck-and-neck with Devan Dubnyk, who’s helped the Minnesota Wild to the best record in the Western Conference through 50 games.
But, always remember, the numbers rarely tell the whole story.
Holtby’s ability to come up with the big save at a key moment has played as big of a role in his ascent to the top of the goaltending ranks as his .929 save percentage, his 1.99 goals against average and his six shutouts this season.
Exhibit A: When Canadiens forward Alexander Radulov crashed into the corner to check Brooks Orpik before stealing the puck and launching it to the front of the net from his knees, Holtby had very little time to react. But he shot out to the top of his crease and dropped down to the butterfly position before kicking out his left pad to deny an A-plus scoring chance for Alex Galchenyuk.
It was one of 20 saves Holtby made on Saturday, and it came at the most pivotal point of the game—as his team was leading by a goal and attempting to stave off Montreal’s strongest push.
“I really didn’t think [the Canadiens] had much going on at all the first two periods,” said Capitals coach Barry Trotz.
Montreal had been limited to 12 shots and 19 attempts through the first 40 minutes of play. Radulov had scored on their only chance, which came at the 7:32 mark of the first, and he temporarily turned the tide in his team’s favour when he set up shop behind the net and found Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty, who needed two shots to beat Holtby and score his 25th goal of the season.
“Once they got the second goal, I thought they got a little push there and we were in a little bit of a scramble,” said Trotz. “Braden’s always the guy that can backstop us when we need him to.
“Those are tough games—when you’re not getting a lot of work and they have a little flurry. Those are tough.”
But tough games are the ones Holtby’s made a name for himself in.
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This season didn’t start on an ideal note for the Lloydminster, Sask., native.
After getting himself into game-shape, only to dress up in a suit rather than in his equipment as Canada’s third goaltender at the World Cup of Hockey, he came back to Washington rusty.
Allowing 12 goals over his first five games was hardly cause for panic, but it was an indication that there was work to be done.
“I was a little bit behind,” Holtby said. “But maybe just working with [goaltending coach] Mitch [Korn] and getting to those things we usually take care of in camp—we had to find some ways to get on the ice together, even if our team wasn’t practising. You take it for what it was, but I think we made it through.”
With flying colours.
Watching Holtby do what he did in the third period Saturday, after he got to sit back and watch Jay Beagle, Andre Burakovsky and Nick Backstrom score the goals that put the Capitals in position to hand the Canadiens their third loss in their last four games, you saw a goaltender that appeared unflappable.
“He was outstanding, especially the last five minutes there,” said Backstrom.
It was in the dying seconds, with Montreal’s net empty — and with the Canadiens in full control of the puck in the offensive zone — that Holtby shut down Andrew Shaw with his glove and made another sharp save on Galchenyuk with the left pad, again.
“I wasn’t shocked,” said Burkovsky. “He’s playing like this every game. He’s always standing on his head, he always saves so many pucks for us. Just the way he plays, he’s probably one of the best goalies in the league. He’s up there for sure.”
Nobody’s better right now, according to Ovechkin.
NOTES:
-Canadiens forward David Desharnais was made a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game.
-Montreal centre Phillip Danault left in the third period with an upper-body injury and did not return. Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said he couldn’t confirm whether Danault would be available for Sunday’s afternoon game against the Edmonton Oilers.