Braden Holtby wants to play every game. The Capitals want him not to.
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Version 0 of 1. Washington Capitals Coach Barry Trotz was socializing at a dinner at the NHL draft in June when he struck up a conversation with Martin Brodeur, one of the greatest goaltenders in the league’s history. Braden Holtby’s name came up, and Trotz saw an opportunity to get the opinion of another goalie who hated being away from the ice. “I said, ‘You’re in the Hall of Fame, and you played a lot of games in a row. You played probably 99 percent of the games New Jersey played when you were there,’ ” Trotz recounted. “I said, ‘How did you manage that?’ “He actually said it’s like a rhythm. He said what happens is once in a while when you’re in a rhythm and then you get taken out for a day and then you don’t practice for a couple days and you don’t play for a while, you actually lose that rhythm, and it actually does more damage.” [New contract, blank slate for Braden Holtby] Coming off a season in which Holtby played a league-leading 73 games, Trotz reflected on his conversation with Brodeur as he considered an appropriate balance for Holtby, who repeatedly has said that he wants to play every game. That won’t happen, but the Capitals are comfortable with him playing more than 70 games again if the circumstances of the season necessitate that. The games he does get rest will be carefully chosen so as not to disrupt his rhythm by giving him too much time off. “I think I feel better when I play more,” Holtby said. “It’s easier for me. You don’t have those days when it’s a little rusty. Two days off is usually tough to come back from. . . . If you can keep things rolling, it makes things easier.” Brodeur, now an assistant general manager with the St. Louis Blues, said he tried not to go more than four days without playing, though sometimes he wouldn’t have a choice because of the schedule. If it was time for him to take a break — for instance, after playing 10 or 15 games in a row — Brodeur said his preference would be to take the middle game off in a stretch of three games in four nights, a break not long enough to disrupt his rhythm. Brodeur said he had an agreement with the coaches that if it was the third period and the Devils were losing handily, he might get pulled, not as a punishment but to rest. He played at least 70 games 12 times in his 21-season tenure with the New Jersey Devils, and Trotz said he was struck by Brodeur’s point that several goalies in the Hall of Fame played around 70 games a season. “I’m a goalie that played a lot of games, so I definitely appreciate when a goalie is not scared of it and really runs the table for his own team,” Brodeur said. “I think the game gets a lot easier when you do play a lot. I think the ups and downs of a season, sometimes you’re able to ride them a lot easier because it’s second nature. You know you’re back in net right away, regardless of if it’s a good game or a bad game. “I think that brings a lot of success to your season, and I think it showed in last season’s performance for Braden.” [Capitals, Holtby reach agreement on new deal] Capitals goaltending coach Mitch Korn said it’s impossible to project which games might be good for giving Holtby a break since it depends on the situation. Some factors: the schedule, particularly when the Capitals have back-to-back games; whether it’s a conference opponent; and the standings, especially for late-season playoff pushes. Holtby played the most games of his NHL career last year, 25 more than in the 2013-14 season. He set career highs in wins (41), shutouts (nine), games played (73), goals against average (2.22) and save percentage (.923). He recorded a franchise-record 1,887 saves and tied franchise records in wins, shutouts and games played. Holtby said that on days he’s not playing, he prepares like the backup, staying on the ice longer with the players not in the lineup. He can also take advantage of working with Korn on things they typically wouldn’t do on a game day. But Holtby is not fond of the suggestion he take days off. “You can’t play every game in goal,” Korn said. “It’s just not feasible. The fact that he wants to play every game is a tribute to his competitiveness, fire, his drive. That gives him a chance, though he won’t play every game.” Said Brodeur: “Eventually, it’s going to break down. Trust me. Played long enough, and I felt it. But when you’re young, you might as well play.” |