The New York Rangers started Game 3 in their second-round series against the Washington Capitals strongly. The first three scoring chances of the game all came off Rangers sticks. They were physical, they were fast and they controlled the play.
Momentum shifted several times as the game went on, but by and large, New York was quite good. They finished the contest with a 30-22 edge in shot attempts. Despite this, they came out on the wrong side of a 1-0 score because Caps goalie Braden Holtby simply would not be beat.
In a game in which the Capitals could only manage a single goal—a fluky one at that—it was Holtby who carried the team to a 2-1 series lead, a lead which might prove pivotal in what has been a hard-fought series between two closely matched teams.
It didn’t matter what kind of shot Holtby faced. He stoned Martin St. Louis in a one-on-one battle after a blocked John Carlson shot sent the diminutive scorer on a breakaway.
He was brilliant in more confusing situations, repeatedly managing to stop the puck, which emerged out of a scrum directly in front of him. A sneaky ba ...
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Article written by Jonathan Willis
Braden Holtby Continues to Show Why He’s Been Washington Capitals’ Playoff MVP
May 4th, 2015 by Jonathan Willis Leave a reply »
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