25-year-old Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby is having a stellar season by all measures, but a close look at the numbers reveals a strengthening case for Holtby for NHL MVP.
As Neil Greenberg of the Washington Post points out, "Holtby has been playing great, enough that he is in the conversation for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the league’s best goaltender. He has six shutouts in 35 starts this season, a pace, if continued, that would place him in the top-10 all time in shutouts by a player’s age-25 season. Only Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury has more (seven) shutouts this year. But even when Holtby isn’t pitching a shutout, he is doing everything he can to keep the Capitals in games."
Add in Holtby's 25-10-9 record and stellar .925 save percentage (fifth in the NHL), along with 65.7 percent "quality" start rate (good for 3rd amongst NHL goalies), and there's a resume' building in D.C. that can't be denied.
“He has made some adjustments to his positioning and has gotten his body involved in more saves,” Caps goaltending coach Mitch Korn said. “He has way more body control with his arms and legs working together.”
For a full breakdown of Holtby's MVP case, complete with handy charts and plenty of sense, be sure to click this link.
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