Braden Holtby’s funk has Capitals stuck in February slump

The puck went through Braden Holtby’s legs and the Capitals goaltender slammed his stick onto the ice in anger. On a breakaway, Holtby had just given up the game-clinching goal in the Capitals’ 4-2 loss Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Adding to his frustration, the goal scorer was Nikita Kucherov — who used a similar no-look move at the All-Star game in January to beat Holtby, again on a breakaway.

“The key to getting better is to learn from your mistakes and obviously I didn’t do that,” Holtby said. “I was just trying to play it patient. I wasn’t trying to cheat towards that move. And he came at it a different way. That’s on me for not recognizing it.”

For most of the season, Holtby has been the stopping force while Washington adapted to new personnel. Time-and-time again, coach Barry Trotz and the Capitals have credited the former Vezina Trophy winner for preventing games from getting out of hand.

Now, however, it might be up Holtby’s teammates to return the favor.

The Capitals goaltender is in a slight funk — having lost five straight games as the starter in net. He’s been benched two times this month, and tacked on another loss in a 3-2 defeat Thursday to the Florida Panthers. On Thursday, the Panthers scored two goals in the final four minutes to steal one late against the Capitals.

In February, Holtby is 2-4-2 and is giving up four goals per game. His .88 save percentage in the month is his worst since January 2014.

“There’s stuff you can’t control and there’s stuff that you can,” Holtby said. “And it’s focusing on those controllables that you can make a difference at. Like the first goal in Chicago, the last two goals [against Tampa]. Those are goals that I could and should stop an that’s what you get to practice the next day and you focus on that and you work hard until you figure it out so you won’t do it again.”

Holtby took the blame for Tuesday’s loss. He let up three goals in the first period, adding Tampa’s third and fourth goals were “especially” on him. Kucherov’s goal, in particular, came minutes after Alex Ovechkin cut the deficit to one.

“That’s not a goal I can give up in that situation after our team battled the way we did,” Holtby said.

Not all of Holtby’s struggles are entirely his fault. The Capitals defense has been shaky the entire season, which is why general manager Brian MacLellan acquired defensemen Michal Kempny and Jakub Jerabek this week.

During a 5-4 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 11, Holtby had choice words for his teammates after the Capitals let up three goals in the second period. Trotz said, “we left him to dry.”

As a team, the Capitals have allowed three or more goals in seven of their 11 games in February.

Against Pittsburgh on Feb. 2 and then against Chicago on Feb. 17, the Capitals let up seven goals. Holtby was benched in each of those games.

Holtby’s numbers are also down this season with a career-worst .908 save percentage and a 2.84 goals against average, his worst since the 2013-14 season.

Trotz, though, gave Holtby a vote of confidence after Tuesday’s game.

“We’ve got guys who haven’t scored in 15-20 games,” Trotz said. “It’s no different than a player. … [Holtby] has been a rock since the day I’ve been here the last four years. He’s been an elite goaltender and I look at him that way.”