Former Capitals goalie Braden Holtby picks up win in Canucks' debut originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The NHL season kicked off on Wednesday night, and that of course meant the first installment of seeing familiar faces in new places.
For Washington Capitals fans, this rings very true with Braden Holtby. The former Capitals goalie made his debut for the Vancouver Canucks after signing a two-year deal in the offseason. Not seeing Holtby rocking the red was certainly hard to process at first.
While the new look may have been a little confusing to the eye, Holtby's performance was something that's been a constant over the years. Though he did allow three goals against the Oilers, he also recorded 28 saves and helped Vancouver pick up a 5-3 win to begin the season. His career with his new team starts with a 1-0 record.
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Holtby spent 10 seasons with the Capitals and was a constant force in the net. The goalie picked up accolades such as the Vezina Trophy in 2015-16 and the Wiliam M. Jennings Trophy in 2016-17. Most importantly, Holtby was a huge part of Washington's run to the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Now having moved on, it will be up to Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek to replace Holtby and continue the tradition of solid goalie play in Washington.
