Braden Holtby vs. Matt Murray

Goaltending is an integral part of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. To better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the goaltenders in the second round, the final 100 goals allowed by each in the regular season and each goal allowed in the playoffs were charted, with the help of Apex Video Analysis and Save Review System from Upper Hand Inc., to see what patterns emerge.

The path back to the Eastern Conference Second Round hasn't been smooth for Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby or Matt Murray, his counterpart with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Holtby wasn't the starter for the Eastern Conference First Round but replaced Philipp Grubauer in a Game 2 loss and won the next four games against the Columbus Blue Jackets, with a .932 save percentage that matched his impressive save percentage for his first 59 playoff games.
RELATED: [Complete Capitals vs. Penguins series coverage]
Murray was pulled once against the Philadelphia Flyers and finished the first round with a .911 save percentage after giving up five goals in a series-clinching 8-5 win in Game 6.
Holtby and Murray meet for the second time in three years in the Eastern Conference Second Round, which starts with Game 1 at Washington on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS).
Here is an in-depth look at each goalie's game:

Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals

Outside of being a bit passive at times in his crease, it was hard to pinpoint specific reasons for Holtby's midseason struggles. Coming off the bench against the Blue Jackets in the first round, Holtby looked every bit the goalie who won the Vezina Trophy in 2016, combining the calm, controlled positional approach he adopted during the previous three seasons with the explosive athleticism that set him apart early in his NHL career.

Goal Trends

Low blocker: Last season, Holtby's highest goal totals were high to the glove side (23 percent) but this year the biggest number was the 18 goals scored low to his blocker side, and his low-glove total (10 percent) exceeded his high-glove total (9 percent). There were occasions when Holtby got caught using a passive one-pad-down save on rushes down the right wing, dropping his right knee and opening up the blocker side, including a Matt Calvert shorthanded rush goal in Game 5. For the most part, Holtby's low-blocker exposure comes from a tendency to keep his shoulders back and torso upright off the release, which limits his ability to reach low shots, leaving him more reliant on shifting his body into these shots targeted low on the blocker side.
Against the grain, on the glove: Holtby wasn't happy getting beat high over a passive glove by Columbus forward Pierre Luc-Dubois from the top of the face-off circle in Game 3, but his combined 21 mid- and high-glove goals in the regular season were below the average (24.6 percent) for goals tracked in breaking down playoff starting goalies for this project during the past two seasons. His 29 percent of goals scored against the grain, when the puck or play is moving one way and is then shot or pulled back in the other direction, were almost double the 14.8 percent average. Twelve of them came mid- or high-glove, further emphasizing the importance of getting him moving side to side before shooting at his glove.
Along the ice: Goals along the ice are often associated with tap-ins after cross-crease passes, but Holtby has additional exposure on low shots through screens (22 percent of his goals) and deflections (18 percent) because his narrow-butterfly stance reduces low coverage. It is tied to his upright torso, which also creates a slight delay in recovery movements, with the lead pad pulling back and out of the way before he pushes, leaving him susceptible to quick, low shots on rebounds. It was on display on Calvert's rebound goal in overtime of Game 2.

Matt Murray, Pittsburgh Penguins

Murray won the Stanley Cup before his rookie season, then won the Cup again as a rookie last season, which should be more than enough to ignore a so-so first season as the No. 1 after the departure of Marc-Andre Fleury to the Vegas Golden Knights. Murray finished with a .907 save percentage, down from a .930 his first season and .923 last season. A looser-than-usual defensive start for the playoff-weary Penguins can explain part of the downward trend. There were some signs of similar struggles against the Flyers, but the seemingly unflappable 23-year-old has a history of bouncing back quickly, especially in the playoffs.

Goal trends

High glove: Murray's glove has been in the spotlight for three straight playoffs, and that isn't going to change after the Flyers scored four of their 13 goals in that area. It's important to note these are not save percentages, so Murray may simply be facing more, or higher-quality, chances on the glove side. It's also worth noting his 27 mid- and high-glove totals during the season sample weren't much higher than the average of 24.6 percent. But there are times he drops his hand a little early from the fingers up glove position he adopted his second pro season to take away some of the space shooters see up high. His glove was almost facing the ice when Flyers forward Travis Konecny chipped a shot past him from close range on a partial breakaway in Game 2.
Blocker low: Murray's blocker position, with his elbow sticking out to keep the stick blade on the ice, led to more goals under the arm and between the blocker and pad in the past. Those numbers were down this season. Murray is good at squaring his blocker to cut off high shots, but more likely to turn it on low shots, especially when he gets wide in his stance when facing the rush. Scott Laughton's goal from distance in Game 6 is a perfect example.
Power-play direction: Murray is the rare goalie who moves better to his blocker than glove, which also plays a role in his high-glove totals. His efficient movements to the blocker were effective against a Capitals power play that attacked almost exclusively in that direction two seasons ago, so changing it up or smart placement of one-timers from Alex Ovechkin will be key.