As a kid, Braden Holtby played forward before turning into a goaltender full-time as a teenager. That’s where Holtby gets his strong stickhandling ability from and that’s why, dammit, he’s going to score a goal someday.
Saturday night against the Devils, Holtby– after making 33 saves and playing generally amazing– decided to take a pot shot at New Jersey’s empty net with the Caps clinging to a two-goal lead.
He missed and it led to an icing. Tsk tsk.
As the play developed, CSN Washington’s Joe Beninati lost his mind.
Here’s the dialogue between Beninati and Craig Laughlin discussing the shot.
Joe Beninati: Will Holtby try it? YEAH, HE WILL. Braden Holtby on the way and it’ll go wide of the cage. [laughs]
Craig Laughlin: He hasn’t had that much time in a long while. Holts, from up here I thought it looked pretty good. The boys looking on [from the bench] a little smile there.
Joe Beninati: Locker, he’s going to do it one of these days. One of these days he’s going to do it!
Craig Laughlin: I’ve never seen him have that much time to do it. I was sure that was the one!
I believe this is the third time as a pro Holtby has attempted to score on an empty net. He tried once in Hershey that grazed off the side of the net. Last season, he tried for the first time in the NHL, but the puck didn’t make it past the neutral zone.
