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Caps stand up for Holtby after devastating Game 7 blowout

Braden Holtby, Mats Zuccarello

Mats Zuccarello #36 of the New York Rangers celebrates after Michael Del Zotto #4 (not pictured) scored in the second period against Braden Holtby #70 of the Washington Capitals in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Verizon Center on May 13, 2013 in Washington, DC. (May 12, 2013 - Source: Greg Fiume/Getty Images North America)

This wasn’t a bad series for Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby, but he didn’t look particularly impressive Washington’s 5-0 loss in Game 7 against the New York Rangers.

Holtby didn’t try to hide from that after his team was eliminated.

“We didn’t put in the right effort for a Game 7 win. Everyone, especially myself,” Holtby told CSN Washington.

At the same time, it’s hard to criticize your netminder when you go two straight games without scoring a single goal. The Washington Capitals certainly tried to deflect the blame off of their 23-year-old goaltender.

“I think he’s been playing great the whole series and the whole season. He’s a young, talented goalie and without him we wouldn’t be here in the playoffs today,” said Nicklas Backstrom. “He’s not the reason we lost. It’s me, myself and the other players.”

24-year-old defenseman Karl Alzner added that Holtby “did everything we asked him to do.”

Holtby has already been in three Game 7s and through 21 career postseason contests, he has a 2.04 GAA and .931 save percentage. Perhaps these tough series early in his NHL tenure will help him down the road, but as a team the Capitals will need to do a lot of soul searching after this coming up short yet again in the playoffs.

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