Trusting the Process

When it comes to luxuries in the NHL, the Washington Capitals have one of the best in its goaltending duo of Braden Holtby and Philipp Grubauer. In Holtby, the Caps have one of the most consistent goaltenders in the league, and in Grubauer the Capitals have perhaps the best backup goaltender in the NHL, who flies under the radar when conversations start about the best netminders in the game.

Since making his debut in the NHL in 2012-13, Grubauer has steadily improved his game each season. He's lowered his goals-against-average from 2.38 in 2013-14 to 2.04 last season, which was the best mark in the league among goalies who played in at least 24 games. He also ranked tied for third in the NHL in save percentage (.926) for goalies who appeared in at least 24 games last year.
However, after such a strong 2016-17 campaign, Grubauer's 2017-18 season didn't get off to the start he had hoped for. But although the start of the season was frustrating for Grubauer, he stuck to his training with goalie coach Scott Murray, and eventually the results started to show.

Since October 27, Grubauer is 2-0-2, including a shutout of the New York Rangers, who rank seventh in the NHL in goals per game this season. During that same stretch, Grubauer also ranks first in the NHL in goals-against-average (1.05) and save percentage (.962) among goaltenders who have played in at least five games.
Among goalies who have played at least 500 minutes this season, Grubauer ranks fifth in high-danger save percentage at 85.07, which is ahead of big-name goaltenders like Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne and Jonathan Quick. The high-danger area is defined by the slot in front of the goal and extends to the hash marks.
"I haven't changed anything from the start of the season," Grubauer said. "I worked with Scotty a little bit to get my feet underneath me, but it wasn't a big change. I'm just playing my game and focusing on every situation, and eventually the rough games will turn into the good games. You just stick to the process and you work hard and tweak maybe one or two things. In order to get better, to get to this point in the NHL, you have to make mistakes. You have to go through some tough times to learn from those to get stronger. I can't tell you one big thing that I've changed."

Grubauer's statistics compare very well to many of the big-name goalies in the NHL, but the Rosenheim, Germany native isn't interested in making comparisons between his stats and other goalies in the league. The only thing that matters to Grubauer is how he's performing for the Capitals.
"To be honest I don't really look at (other starters)," Grubauer said. "What's important is that I get the points. The way I look at it is I need the wins, and I want to get the win for the guys. I want to get the win if I'm in the net and giving Holts a rest. I try to do my best and not let the boys down. I don't play as much and don't get an opportunity as much, so I've got to make the most out of it. I don't really look at all the other guys and what their stats are. I just want to help the guys earn points and make sure my stats are good and I'm helping out the team."

Grubauer's play has been stellar over the last month, which is perhaps even more impressive because he's a backup, and regular playing time can be hard to come by. Despite having longer periods of time in between starts, Grubauer is still able to stay in a rhythm so that he's at the top of his game when he does get a start.
"I feel like this year has been a little bit different because I feel like I don't have as much time off in between games like I did last year. Like my first year I don't think I played a game in five weeks, so that was really challenging. You have to be constantly ready, and the stuff I do with Scotty everyday is helping us to prepare for practice and to prepare for the game, so even if you don't play it's still game-like situations. I think mentally you've got to be really strong and be prepared and focused on the things that come. The things that have really helped me stay prepared the most is the goalie time with Scotty and Mitch."

Grubauer has proven over the last two and a half seasons that he belongs in the upper echelon of goaltenders in the NHL. And while he's solely focused right now on helping the Capitals win a Stanley Cup, his goal in the next few years is to take on a more prominent role.
"Hopefully I'll be starting," Grubauer said. "I think that's the goal for everybody. Nobody wants to sit on the bench and watch the game. I want to continue to work hard and play well and earn some starts, and hopefully I can earn a starting job."
With Grubauer's continued development and competitive mindset, it's only a matter of time before he starts to get the recognition he deserves around the NHL.