Goaltending hasn't been the only reason the Washington Capitals find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but it is certainly the team's biggest issue a dozen games into the new season.
Once again, George McPhee has opted to go with a tandem featuring two relatively unproven youngsters in net. Though both Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth have excelled at various points in the past, neither has earned the No. 1 job with their play through the first quarter of the 2012-13 NHL season.
With the first 12 games of the lockout-shortened campaign in the books, here is a breakdown of Washington's two goalies and their performances so far.
Strengths
Holtby has put together two solid performances in wins over Philadelphia and Florida but has also given up goals by the bushel on other nights. His sparkling 27-save shutout outing against Florida was a reminder of how good the young goaltender can be when he is focused.
Despite Holtby's advantage in the wins department, Neuvirth has been every bit as effective as Holtby, primarily because he has been much, much better positionally.
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Ryan Davenport
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