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Capitals summon goalie Grubauer, Holtby reportedly sick

Anaheim Ducks v Washington Capitals

Philipp Grubauer

NHLI via Getty Images

The Capitals announced that goaltender Philipp Grubauer has been summoned from the AHL Hershey Bears.

Washington made the move because Braden Holtby is battling an illness, according to the Washington Post’s Alex Prewitt. It sounds like Holtby hasn’t been ruled out of Game 2 on Friday yet, but Washington is taking precautionary measures.

If Holtby can’t play then it will be interesting to see who coach Barry Trotz starts. Grubauer, 23, is a highly regarded goaltending prospect who has already enjoyed some success at the NHL level, but he doesn’t have any playoff experience. At the age of 28, Justin Peters has more overall experience, but he hasn’t played in a postseason game either. On top of that, Peters struggled in the backup role in 2014-15 with a 3.25 GAA and .881 save percentage in 12 contests.

It’s worth noting that the decision to summon Grubauer at this time likely wasn’t made lightly as Hershey is scheduled to play in its final two regular season games on Friday and Saturday. The Bears’ playoff spot is secure, but they’re still in a close battle for the Northeast Division title.

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