Wilting Holtby should be major concern for Capitals

With just 11 games left in the regular season, the Washington Capitals sit 18 points clear atop the Eastern Conference, 12 points up in the President's Trophy race, and will tie a bow on a Metropolitan Division crown in a matter of days.

Still, there's something sinister hanging over a club that's run laps around the competition this season: the recent performance of Braden Holtby.

Holtby was lifted Sunday afternoon after allowing five goals on 19 shots in a loss to the surging Pittsburgh Penguins. In a vacuum, it's a just a blip on the radar - just his ninth loss in 58 appearances.

But really, the loss, and his struggles, were illustrative of Holtby's substandard play since the calendar flipped to 2016.

Check out Holtby's numbers from October through December, compared to how he's fared ever since:

A deeper dive doesn't help pinpoint the root of his struggles. The Capitals have suppressed shots at a higher rate over the last two-and-a-half months, while Holtby's adjusted save metrics in all situations, and scoring areas, have risen evenly across the board.

The Capitals will still be confident in themselves and Holtby heading into the playoffs - even if he's loosened his grip on the Vezina Trophy they might have already started engraving his name into after his dazzling December. But in a seven-game series, when sticks are gripped tighter, the particularly hot (or cold) goaltender historically tips the scales.

So, with the weight of a decade of postseason failures, and all the pressure to not just win a few rounds, but to represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final, a team that features near-flawless construction suddenly appears vulnerable.