Holtby blanks Rangers to give Capitals upper hand in Game 3

Braden Holtby earned his second career playoff shutout exactly two years after his first, making 30 saves as the Washington Capitals edged the New York Rangers 1-0 on Monday in Game 3 of their second-round series.

Star Performer: Holtby, who also blanked the Rangers on May 4, 2013, stopped 11 shots in the first period, nine in the second and 10 in the third. Perhaps the most impressive part of Holtby's shutout performance was how easy he made it seem with his calm, positionally sound style.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

Turning Point: Washington took the lead on a fluky play in the second period. Jay Beagle fired the puck from behind the goal line and it deflected in off the skates of Keith Yandle and Henrik Lundqvist.

Goalie Comparison: Lundqvist was very sharp in his 100th career playoff appearance despite facing fewer shots than Holtby. He made a pair of quality saves on Alex Ovechkin and was flawless aside from Beagle's lucky goal, but that was all Washington needed with Holtby in the crease.

Top Highlight: Rangers forward Chris Kreider was credited with a game-high six hits. Four of those hits occurred in the first period, when he laid out Capitals forward Joel Ward in open ice to force a turnover.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

Stat of the Night: Holtby should save some of the credit for the shutout for his teammates, who will be black and blue after blocking 27 shots in the contest.

Series at a glance:

Game 1: Capitals 2, Rangers 1
Game 2: Rangers 3, Capitals 2
Game 3: Capitals 1, Rangers 0
Game 4: Wednesday, May 6, 7:30 p.m. ET
Game 5: Friday, May 8, 7 p.m. ET
*Game 6: Sunday, May 10, TBD
*Game 7: Wednesday, May 13, TBD

*If necessary