"Pheonix (Copley) did a great job," said Holtby, who's recovering quickly after what he acknowledged was a "scary" moment when a Blue Jackets player's stick slipped behind his mask.
"That's part of goaltending," Holtby said. "It's not uncommon to have to go in a game. And he's done a great job at it all year."
Copley is expected to get the start tonight against the St. Louis Blues, his former team that he made his NHL debut with on Feb. 26, 2016. While the Capitals couldn't secure a win for Copley on Saturday, his performance - stopping 10 of 11 shots - sent a strong message about the team's depth in goal.
Hotby's still the backbone of the Capitals, maintaining elite form with a .939 save percentage at even strength since Nov. 4, the highest save percentage among goaltenders with at least 13 games played during that span. The Capitals have also hummed along with Copley, winning five of his last seven starts and earning points in six of them.
The tandem is one of seven duos in the NHL to each have double-digit wins, Holtby with 18 and Copley with 10. They've both turned in a shutout - or two, in Holtby's case. And since Nov. 1, their .933 save percentage at five-on-five ranks second in the NHL (Los Angeles: .940).
Without ever being on the ice at the same time, Holtby and Copley have seemed to develop a chemistry, feeding off each other's success.
"I think Holts (Holtby) is an easy guy to feel comfortable around and Cops (Copley) has fit in really well beside him," Brett Connolly said. "I think he's learning a lot from Holts. And just his work ethic - both work extremely hard and push each other."
Copley credited the team for those numbers, saying "everyone turned it on in November," before echoing Connolly's take on learning from the best.
"It's great to be able to watch [Holtby]," Copley said. "He's a very good pro and a very good goalie. I just try to learn as much as I can. Fortunately, I have he and [Capitals goaltending coach] Scotty [Murray] to learn from."
In picking up wins and points with two different goalies, the Capitals are also preserving energy. Rotating goalies allows a team to keep both guys fresh through critical stretches of the year, which bodes well for the grueling playoff schedule.
Holtby, who started 54 of 82 games last season before the playoffs, is on pace to play in 56 games this year. He'd played at least 63 games the previous three seasons before, including a career high 73 games in 2014-15.
Copley will look to get his 11th career win tonight, which would take his own record to 11-2-3. More important for him, though, is that he guides the Capitals to their 28th on the year.
"Whenever I'm in the net I want to do my best to give the team a chance," Copley said. "If I'm not playing, I want to be a good teammate and support the guys. Whether I'm in or not, I just want to do my part to help us win."
