Fansided

Building the ultimate NHL playoff team from 2018 contenders

By Connor Ulrey

LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: The Washington Capitals celebrate their 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JUNE 07: The Washington Capitals celebrate their 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights to win the Stanley Cup in Game Five of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on June 7, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 29: Goalie Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals looks on against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 29: Goalie Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals looks on against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena on April 29, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

Goaltenders (2)

Braden Holtby

How could the Cup-winning goaltender not end up atop this list after that performance? After not even starting the playoffs for the Capitals in net, Holtby took over and then took over.

Dominant performances against Columbus, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay led him to a meeting with the hottest offense in the league in the postseason.

After allowing five goals in the Game 1 loss, Holtby only allowed five over the next three games. Holtby made all the right saves for the Capitals, and even in a Game 5 where they saw themselves down in the third, the team picked up where the goaltender gave them room to. Holtby kept them right in it and the offense shut the door on the Knights’ inaugural season.

In Game 2, he also made one of the greatest saves ever, keeping the Caps in front with just over two minutes left, eventually stealing another game on the road, something they were oh so good at this year.

Marc-Andre Fleury

Flower gets the second spot on this superteam, and it’s well deserved. He was the catalyst that set the Knights in motion when they only lost two games coming into the Stanley Cup Final.

He struggled against the Capitals in the five-game tilt but posted four shutouts in the playoffs and posted a plus .900 save percentage in all 13 wins the Knights had, as well as a .927 percentage for the postseason.

He, in fact, makes good saves too.

Fleury’s best friend is the post behind him, and it came up huge this postseason. Fleury is one of those guys you can’t help but root for. Just imagine  you had to choose between facing him and Holtby this postseason? Yikes.

Home/NHL