In The Nets - For the Capitals, Braden Holtby gets the net for the first time in 10 days, since March 6 when he was pulled in the second period of a start against the Ducks in Anaheim. Philipp Grubauer has started each of Washington's four games since, so Holtby will be returning to the net after his longest absence in more than four years.
Trotz opted to have Holtby go through a "reset" in the 10 days since that ill-fated start in Anaheim, and Holtby has been working on mental aspects of his game and working with Caps goalie coach Scott Murray during the Caps' practice sessions.
"It was obviously good to clear the mind and step back," says Holtby, "and it makes it a lot better that we had success while it was going on. So that makes it easier just to focus on regrouping. Working on a few things for a couple of days in practice, you're not really worried about conserving energy - you can really just work through things. It's something I haven't had for quite a few years, so there was a positive in it for sure - mentally and physically - to just regroup a bit."
Prior to Thursday's game against the Islanders, Trotz was asked about how Holtby has handled this rare - for him, anyway - situation.
"Absolutely like a pro," answered Trotz. "He is working at his game, he has had a great attitude. I think he understands and he has seen it from some of the best in the business. I think the opportunities that he has had when he has gone to All-Star Games and obviously the World Cup and that, he has seen it where his counterparts who are maybe great goaltenders have had struggles. I think he just knows it's part of the process and it's his first time going through it. He is dealing with it the right way.
Asked whether or not he needs to reassure Holtby that he is still Washington's "go-to guy" in goal, Trotz noted that the reassurance comes in the form of Friday's starting assignment against the Islanders.
"I'm going to reassure him by putting him back in the net," says Trotz. "That's where the first reassurance comes, it's that yes, he is going to be back in the net. And then he's got to take the ball and run with it and see if he can go with it.
"He also understands where we are as a team - we've got to win hockey games and get into the playoffs. He is all about 'team,' so he understands that whole process."
Lifetime against the Islanders, Holtby is 13-4-3 with a 2.43 GAA and a .921 save pct.
Jaroslav Halak gets the start for New York on Friday. Christopher Gibson started and was pulled after allowing five goals on just a dozen shots against in 30:22 of work on Thursday, and Halak came on in relief, stopping eight of the nine shots he faced the rest of the way.
Since authoring a 50-save shutout against the New York Rangers on Feb. 15 in Brooklyn, Halak is winless, going 0-4-2 and yielding three or more goals in five of those six starts. For the season, Halak is 18-22-6 with a 3.22 GAA and a .908 save pct. in 20 appearances.
Lifetime against the Capitals, Halak is 9-8-0 with a shutout, a 2.66 GAA and a .906 save pct. in 18 appearances.
