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Top 3 questions for the Washington Capitals still to be answered in 2020

By Griffin Youngs

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 16: Ilya Samsonov #30 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with Braden Holtby #70 after the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Capital One Arena on October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 16: Ilya Samsonov #30 of the Washington Capitals celebrates with Braden Holtby #70 after the game against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the third period at Capital One Arena on October 16, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Though the 2019-20 season for the Washington Capitals has been put on pause indefinitely, there are still plenty of questions to be answered if the season is to continue.

Just two months ago, the Washington Capitals were hoping that today would be another day in what would hopefully be a run to their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. Instead, they and every other team in the league are stuck at home while the season is held at the mercy of the coronavirus pandemic that has swept across the world.

At the time of the season pause on March 11, the Capitals were just barely holding on to the division lead in the Metropolitan with just a single point being the only difference between them and the red hot Philadelphia Flyers. Their season ended after a 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres two days prior to the pause, going 4-3-3 in their final ten games before the league shut down.

If this season is considered safe enough to continue, the Capitals still have plenty of questions to answer about whether or not they can really make a push for another Stanley Cup, because the way things were going for them for the two months leading up to a pause, their season was not heading for a happy ending. Let’s take a look at three of the biggest questions for the Capitals.

WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 04: Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals looks on after allowing a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Capital One Arena on March 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 04: Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals looks on after allowing a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the third period at Capital One Arena on March 4, 2020 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

3. Can Braden Holtby stay good enough to carry the Capitals?

Even before the season began, goaltending has been a headlining story for the Capitals. With Braden Holtby entering the final year of a five-year contract and seemingly due for a raise that the Capitals would struggle to afford, it could be his final season in Washington. This was only amplified when highly touted goalie prospect Ilya Samsonov made the team out of training camp.

To say that Holtby has been inconsistent this season would be an understatement. His 0.897 save percentage in 48 games does not even come close to telling the full story of how much of a roller coaster ride it’s been this season for the former Vezina winner and Stanley Cup champion. There have been stretches where he’s been singlehandedly cost the Capitals games, and others where he’s the only reason they win games.

Just a few weeks into the season, Samsonov began stealing starts after Holtby lost four of his first five games, capped off by letting in three goals on the first three shots against the Avalanche. After that, Holtby would win 10 of his next 11 starts and only drop below a .900 save percentage once. Holtby cooled off, but held steady performance-wise well into December, then just sank like a rock without warning.

After allowing four goals on 11 shots in one period against the Boston Bruins, Holtby would take over a month and six starts to post another game above .900 again. Both of Holtby’s wins during that time came from miraculous comebacks, one of which Holtby wasn’t even on the ice for after getting pulled. Easily the worst stretch of his career.

Since February, Holtby has stabilized his personal performances, but the results are still not optimal. Holtby is not costing the Capitals games anymore, but is now being left out to dry by his defense just about every other night, but more on that later.

This is not the first time that Holtby has suffered with inconsistencies throughout the regular season. Since winning the Vezina in 2016 and Jennings trophy in 2017, Holtby’s numbers have taken a sharp dive. Holtby was replaced by Philipp Grubauer late in the 2018 regular season and in the first two games of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Obviously Holtby would take back the net and backstop the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, but the .903 save percentage would be the worst of his career. Next season wasn’t as bad, but not good enough either with a 0.911 save percentage, which is about league average.

In simple terms, when Holtby is on his game, he is one of the best goalies in the world bar none. When he’s off, he hardly belongs in the league. In what in all likelihood will be Holtby’s final run with the Capitals, they’re going to need the goalie that won them a Stanley Cup and two President’s Trophies, not the one who’s cost them winnable games by not being able to stop a beachball. Especially when you consider the defense playing in front of him of late.

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