DENVER—About an hour before the Washington Capitals were to face the Colorado Avalanche on April 1, Braden Holtby stood a few feet from a Pepsi Center cement wall and continually fired a small, blue rubber ball against it with his right hand.
Every single time he did this, about 50 times or so upon one observation, the ricocheting ball landed safely into Holtby's left hand. Then the process started over in rapid fashion.
Just off to Holtby's right, Capitals goalie coach Mitch Korn observed his latest protege before sitting down for a while with a reporter—something he doesn't do very often.