Holtby Backstopping the Caps to Seven Straight Wins

New Jersey Devils forward Brett Seney saw a clear path to the net late in the second period, a chance to tie the game at 2-2 as he fielded a pass off a turnover and broke free at center ice. But, like the three other opportunities before him, Braden Holtby was there to preserve the lead.
It was one of 33 saves for Holtby, who helped lead the Capitals to a 6-3 win over the Devils Friday at the Capital One Arena. Washington won its seventh straight game, a streak that began on Nov. 16 in Colorado and stands as the NHL's longest active run.

"If it weren't for Braden yesterday, I think we would've had a tough time winning the game," said Andre Burakovsky, who scored the third goal in the game, splitting two defenders before flipping the puck just past New Jersey goalie Keith Kinkaid. "What did he save, four breakaways? Then [he stopped] some other great chances to keep us in the game."

Since returning from an upper-body injury in the second period in Montreal on Nov. 19, Holtby has been lights out.
Down 4-2 when he entered the game in Montreal, he stopped every one of the Canadiens' next 22 shots, allowing Washington's offense to chip away at the two-goal deficit and win 5-4 in overtime.
Holtby then stopped 37 of 39 shots in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Nov. 21, followed by 31 of 32 saves two nights later against Detroit, who entered the game having won six of its last seven. Backup Pheonix Copley started the next night in New York, saving 30 shots in a 5-3 win over the Rangers, before Holtby capped the Mentors Trip with a 32-save outing against the Islanders.
"As unfortunate as it was that his recovery took longer than expected, I think that rest helped him a little bit," head coach Todd Reirden said. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that, for a guy who's played a number of games over the years.
"I think we're starting to see that sometimes, with some rest and a chance for him to [resettle], he's even sharper," Reirden said. "We'll continue to monitor his playing time, especially with having the luxury of how well Pheonix [Copley] has been playing."

In his last five outings, Holtby's has a .957 save percentage, stopping 155 of the last 162 shots he's faced, the best in the NHL during that span.
"He's really been on his game," Reirden said. "Far too many high-quality chances and breakaways [on Friday]. That can't happen. In the second period he stole the game for us, or at least kept us in it."
Added defenseman Matt Niskanen: "As a group we'd like to lean on him a little less for the tough saves, but we know he has the ability to make game-changing saves. It gives you a lot of confidence. [Allowing] breakaways is obviously bad, but offensively you have to play with confidence and a free mind. A really good goaltender helps that."

Holtby's brilliance through November hasn't come without personal accomplishment, even if it hasn't crossed his mind. With 9,992 career saves, he's inching towards 10,000 for his career, a mark he'll likely eclipse in his next start. He'll become the second goaltender in franchise history to record 10,000 career saves (Olaf Kolzig: 18,013 saves).
"To be honest it's not a stat I've ever thought about," Holtby said, true to form on his interest in personal records.
"We're playing a pretty solid game right now and that's leading to success defensively," Holtby said. "Seems like we're catching the breaks that we weren't in the first part of the season. It always goes in cycles like that. Right now, we're just trying to keep playing as strong of a game as we can and keep racking up wins."