Photo: @DallasStars

Dallas Stars head coach Rick Bowness announced prior to the team’s season-opener against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday that goaltender Braden Holtby will start in goal.

”It’s what I said going into camp. We feel whoever had the best camp was going to play. [Holtby] had a great camp, not that [Anton Khudobin] didn’t but he had a really solid camp. He knows [the Rangers], he’s played at this rink an awful lot over his career [with] all those years in Washington. So, actually pretty easy decision,” Bowness said.

“It was actually a pretty easy decision.” pic.twitter.com/e8WEDrGO5L

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) October 14, 2021

In 140 minutes of playing time in the preseason, the 32-year-old posted a .938 save percentage and 1.71 goals-against average.

Holtby signed a one-year contract with the Stars after the final year of his contract with the Vancouver Canucks was bought out. He played just 21 games last season, finishing with a career-worst 7-11-3 record, .889 save percentage, and a 3.67 goals-against average.

n 489 career NHL games with the Canucks and Washington Capitals, Holtby, who ranks second among the Capitals’ all-time wins leaders, has gone 289-133-49 with a .915 save percentage, a 2.58 goals-against average, and 35 shutouts. He has gone 50-46-1 with a .926 save percentage, a 2.13 goals-against average, and seven shutouts in 97 career Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Capitals, who drafted Holtby 93rd overall in 2008.

By Harrison Brown