Braden Holtby of Lloydminster, Saskatchewan recorded his seventh career playoff shutout on Saturday. Holtby made 30 saves in a 6-0 Washington Capitals win over the Carolina Hurricanes in game six of their first round playoff series. With the win, the Capitals took a three games to two series lead.
Holtby made six saves in the first period, 15 saves in the second period and nine saves in the third period. Two Canadians scored for the Capitals as Brett Connolly of Campbell River, British Columbia notched a goal in the second period to put the Capitals up 3-0 and Tom Wilson scored at 1:04 of the third period to put the Capitals up 4-0. Alexander Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom picked up the assists on the goal by Connolly and Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson picked up the assists on the goal by Wilson. On the Capitals’ opening game winning goal by Backstrom, Wilson picked up an assist.
Holtby’s seven playoff shutouts have come in the last six years. The others came in a 1-0 win over the New York Rangers on May 4, 2013, in a 1-0 win over the Rangers on May 4, 2015, in a 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on April 14, 2016, in a 1-0 win over the Flyers on April 24, 2016, in a 3-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on May 21, 2018 and in a 4-0 win over the Lightning on May 23, 2018.
