Braden Holtby was one of the very best goalies in the world during this past regular season, but that’s not how his 2016-17 will be remembered.

By The Numbers

Visualization by HockeyViz

About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows various metrics for the player over the course of the 2016-17 season. A short description of each chart:

1. Most common teammates during 5-on-5
2. Ice time per game, split up by game state
3. 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
4. 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
5. Individual scoring events by the player
6. 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts

Peter’s Take

Braden Holtby is a Vezina finalist again, though he won’t win this time around. Columbus’s Sergei Bobrovsky was just too good, and he’ll likely deprive Holtby of a title that could have taken some of the sting out of 2016-17.

It’s obligatory to praise Holtby for yet another sterling regular season, so I’ll do that now. There’s the downright appalling consistency that he’s had since he entered the league, and the way his goaltending – paired with the best defensive corps the Caps have ever had – gave the team their first Jennings trophy in more than 30 years. Holtby enjoyed his lowest goals-against average in a full season, 42 wins, and 9 shutouts – both of which led the league. Holtby was, in a word, elite.

Hey, that’s great. But how about that .888 save percentage against the Penguins?

https://twitter.com/DTMAboutHeart/status/868208973756993536

After being literally the best playoff goalie ever, Holtby crashed hard in round two, surrendering 17 goals to the Penguins. No postseason goalie fared worse. There’s no kind way to put it: Holtby’s disaster was the primary reason why the Caps’ supposed last best chance at a Cup got snuffed.

Whatever defense we can mount for Holtby must involve two points: 1) the Caps offense gave him the barest amount of goal support, and 2) the Penguins were deadly on odd-man rushes, which Washington fed them quite a hefty share of. But still, Holtby was not good.

Holtby’s around for another three years, earning six million a pop. Based on his regular-season record he’ll earn that paycheck, but the burn of his 2016-17 postseason is going to be with us for awhile.

Baeden Holtbae on RMNB

Now for happier stuff.

• Rock the Rainbow. As the Caps’ LGBTQ ambassador, Holtby rules. Check out the interview.
• Okay, but Holtby likes ham, pineapple, and jalapenos on his pizza. Woof.
• “Socks can change the dynamic of an outfit.” Man, we were off to a good start, but then two awful takes in a row.
• Okay, quick recovery: back-to-back shutouts in January. He was white-hot that whole month. Beautiful.
• The rare double save.

• Kuhnhackle really un-warmed the cockles of my heart with this stupid hit. Then Carlson whacked Holtby and then a ref mugged him and I thought we all agreed he was off-limits?!
• Maybe it’s his fault for wandering out to the dang blue line so much.
• Holtby saves atop your x-mas tree.

• Holtby was honored for his kick-ass 2016-17 season, then he got to watch Grubauer own the Avalanche from the bench.
• And then he got a second consecutive nommie for the vezzie.
• And then he got scored on twice by Sidney Crosby inside one minute. La dee da. It was so bad, you guys, but Trotz stood by his man.
• Holtby is Washington’s crossword ace.

• The new Weagle mask and the new starry mask and the new You Can Play mask!
• Holtby attacked the assistant goalie coach and then got froze by the head coach. Don’t worry; Holtby got back at em both — first with a bad haircut and then with a .888 save percentage.
• Check out this stupid rad save.

• BRADEN WAT ARE YOU DOING GET BACK IN YOUR NET (that one became a meme)

• There’s like a million of these actually.

• Even we can admit this sign was a sick burn.

• Bobblebeast.
• Praise from the Great One.
• Blown lead face.

• Holtby’s had one of the best three-season runs in NHL history.
• Hi, Peter here. I wrote a long article about consistency and how it’s not good unless you’re consistently good, which is fine because that’s exactly what Holtby is.
• Finally, this stupid stupid hat and this stupid stupid hat. How is this legal?

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Your Turn

Does Holtby’s playoff performance make you worry at all for his future performances? And why do people keep knocking him over on the ice? And who keeps giving him money to buy hats?

Read more: Japers’ Rink, Stars and Sticks

Headline photo: Amanda Bowen