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Braden Holtby Is The Caps MVP and Playing at the Highest Level of his Career

By Ian Oland (@ianoland) on December 30, 2015 | 0 Comment

holtby-leading-everything

Screenshot by RMNB reader Victor K.

Monday night, Braden Holtby made 31 saves against the Buffalo Sabres and notched his second shutout of the season. It seems almost tired at this point to say it, but Holtby has been spectacular in 2015-16. He’s made difficult saves look easy. He’s stopping point-blank shots when he’s on the other side of the crease. The only thing he’s been bad at is keeping his mask on during play, and that’s probably just due to his awesome facial hair.

The Holtbeast leads the NHL in wins (23) and goals-against average (1.85). He’s second in save percentage (.935) and ninth in shutouts (2). Holtby hasn’t lost a freaking game since November 10 against the Red Wings, two weeks before Thanksgiving. In that solitary loss, Holtby stopped 97 percent of the shots (26 of 27) in a 1-0 loss.

Holtby’s getting support from national media as a Vezina trophy candidate for the league’s best goaltender, but that’s not all. Esteemed hockey nerd (and RMNB podcast guest) Dimitri Filipovic points out that Holtby is playing at the same level Carey Price did last season when he won the MVP.

I need a reaction GIF from Holtby real quick.

Holtby’s ridiculous season has three-time league MVP Alex Ovechkin doing some Yogi Berra-esque math.

“The goaltending is 75 percent of the team, or 80 percent,” Ovechkin said to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan. “We knew he’s good. He’s our best player and probably the best goalie in the league right now.”

That’s the Caps franchise’s best player ever being like Oh, damn. He good.

Since Adam Oates left and Mitch Korn stepped in as goalie coach, Holtby’s even strength adjusted save percentage has resembled a rocket going into outer space.

holtby-going-into-outer-space2

Chart via War On Ice

Holtby has a lot of nicknames: Holtbeast, The Great Wall Of Chinatown, Mr. Steal Ya Two Points.

But I propose a new one that better reflects the times: Holtbest.

holtbest

Get the t-shirt here.

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