Holtby Playing at Historic Levels

Braden Holtby was selected in the 4th round of the NHL Draft by the Washington Capitals in 2008.  He made his NHL debut in 2010.  He played sparingly the next two years but secured a starting spot in 2012-2013 season.

And then he really turned on the jets.

In 2015, he became the first goaltender ever to sweep a series of 3 or more games against Boston without allowing a single goal.

And now he is performing at historic levels in the playoffs.

Check out these stats from Russian Machine Never Breaks:

People don’t seem to be grasping exactly how good Holtby has been. This is exactly how good Holtby has been.

• Since 1918, 244 goalies have played in 8 or more playoff games in a single season. Holtby’s 2015 save percentage of .950 percent ranks first.

• Since 1918, 103 goalies have played in 15 or more career playoff games. Holtby’s career play save percentage of .937 percent ranks second.

• Holtby isn’t just the beneficiary of a stingy defense that keeps shots “to the outside.” According to War on Ice, of the 16 goalies to have played 240-plus minutes in the 2015 playoffs, Holtby’s high-danger save percentage is 4th, at .886 percent. This ranks first among goalies whose teams have not been eliminated.

Picture courtesy of Jennifer Griggs.