Mustaches and Holtby

            For one month in the year, I felt powerful. I felt as though men and women alike were caught in my web of seduction. Then December 1^st came and I shaved off my half-inch of mustache hair. After taking a few selfies, I took a glance in the mirror and was faced with a harsh reality. I was powerless without the ‘stache. And although I could still hang out in front of the weight room and sell tickets to the gun show, nobody would be willing to buy them as long as my upper lip shadow wasn’t there to serve as a reminder that I am, deep down, essentially a clone of this man.

Fantastic photo of Ron Burgundy taken from woldfitness.com

This analogy encapsulates my feeling about certain players in the NHL playoffs. Much like Max Talbot did a few years ago with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the occasional “average” player will put on an exhibition in the playoffs and send a hoard of fans rushing to the team store to buy their jersey. Unfortunately, these are the same fans you see years later hanging out in the arena concourse leaning against the wall trying to hide the fact that they dropped $200 on the jersey of a player who has been scratched (but not necessarily sniffed) more than a lottery ticket. 

With that, I would like to introduce to my candidate for the player who I believe will burn out after the 2012 NHL playoffs and spend next season riding the pine.

If only for one more game, my vote goes to Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals. In my opinion, the 22-year old goalie is a playoff form of Steve Mason. He’s sweet for the moment, but by next season, he will join the ranks of the burnouts. Here are some statistics that reflect his performance in the regular season compared to the playoffs:

Regular Season:

Games Played – 7

Save Percentage - .922

Goals Against Average – 2.49

Playoffs:

Games Played – 13

Save Percentage - .935

Goals Against Average – 1.95

            Needless to say (but I’m going to anyways because I believe if I continue to use hip language I’m basically a lock for first-pick in my next game of playground basketball), this guy is “turnt” up right now.

            Maybe it’s the beard that is propelling this guy forward or perhaps he is still riding the adrenaline rush that comes with playing in the NHL. Either way, I find it hard to believe his parents will be buying season tickets at the Verizon Center next season. In fact, I think their reaction to learning their son is headed back to the minors might look a lot like this. 

            The chances are that as Holtby plays more, opposing teams will learn and exploit his weaknesses just like they did with Mason.  Holtby makes ill-advised decisions when coming out to play the puck. Playing against a team that likes to dump the puck, such as the New York Rangers, it’s a dangerous style.  Another huge weakness is his rebound control. Holtby gives up so many “juicy rebounds” that Pierre McGuire salivates each time the puck comes into the zone. Don’t get me wrong, I think he is crazy good right now, but I don’t think he will be as sweet as the hockey nation seems to believe.

           With this I bring you back to my mustache. Similar to the popularity I encountered in November with the 'stache, Holtby is experiencing an equally awe-striken month. However, the heavy hammer of reality cannot linger at the bottom of the toolbox. Eventually, Holtby will fade away into a crowd of average players. So when the Capitals' run for the Stanley Cup draws to a close and Holtby shaves his beard, what will be left is the face of a young goalie who just took the ride of his life. If he wishes to ride again, Holtby must clear some pretty tall expectations.