ARLINGTON Adidas Dougie Hamilton Jersey , Va. (AP) Philipp Grubauer will start Washington’s playoff opener against Columbus, the first Capitals goaltender not named Braden Holtby to start a postseason series since 2011.The 26-year-old German started 10 of the final 16 games of the regular season, going 7-3-0 with a 2.32 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. Grubauer’s 2.06 GAA and .933 save percentage are the best among NHL goalies since Oct. 27.”I just think that Grubi deserves the opportunity,” coach Barry Trotz said Tuesday, a day after telling Grubauer of his decision. ”It sort of evolved all year. There wasn’t a date or anything like that. It just evolved and Grubi got more games and a bigger body of work.”Grubauer called it a privilege to start after spending the past three full seasons as the backup to Holtby, who won the 2016 Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s best goaltender. It could be a short-lived privilege if he struggles because Trotz said his decision is only for Game 1 on Thursday night and the Capitals are going ”game by game.”The opener will be Grubauer’s second career start in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Grubauer started a game against the New York Islanders in the first round in 2015 when Holtby was sick and entered in relief once in 2017.”It doesn’t change how we go about our business,” Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. ”We’re just concerned about our game.”Grubauer led Windsor to the Ontario Hockey League title and won the Memorial Cup in 2010. He also helped Germany qualify for the 2018 Olympics. But it’s this recent stretch that gives him the most confidence going into the playoffs.”It helps playing more and more,” Grubauer said. ”The more you get on the ice, the more experience you get. You see different situations and different teams. If you sit on the bench Adidas Julien Gauthier Jersey , you can get good from watching, but you’ve got to get the experience.”He will likely see a lot of Columbus captain Nick Foligno, who is back after missing the final six games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Foligno gives the Blue Jackets some net-crashing presence and will be in and around the crease often.”I honestly feel great,” Foligno said after centering Oliver Bjorkstrand and Josh Anderson in practice on what is now the deep Blue Jackets’ third line. ”I’ve played this game long enough to know how you have to prepare during an injury to make sure you’re feeling good mentally and physically when you get back.”Holtby has never sat on the bench for a Stanley Cup playoff game. Michal Neuvirth started all nine games for Washington in 2011 before injuries to him and Tomas Vokoun pressed Holtby into duty in 2012.The 28-year-old has started 59 of the past 60 Capitals playoff games. But his struggles down the stretch – a 3.75 GAA and .886 save percentage in his final 17 appearances – cost him the ability to go into another postseason as the guy even after showing improvements following his four-game ”reset.”Trotz said Holtby was a pro and told him: ”If you put me in the net, my job is to stop the puck. If I get that opportunity, I’ll stop the puck.” He was similarly gracious after practice about the demotion.”My job is just to focus on my game, getting it the best it can get to,” said Holtby, who closed the season 5-1-0 with a 2.67 GAA and .911 save percentage . ”Coach’s decision who plays or not doesn’t have anything to do with me. I’ll just focus one practice at a time Adidas Petr Mrazek Jersey , trying to be a positive influence around the team and go from there.”Holtby said in March it was good to ”clear the team’s head with that kind of stigma that’s kind of going on with me in net.” With Holtby and Grubauer splitting time down the stretch, the Capitals won 12 of their 15 final games.”I think we have two good goalies who can play,” defenseman Dmitry Orlov said. ”Grubi was good for us all season. It’s not easy to be second goalie and not play some games. You need to always be prepared in practice. I think he did a good job like a professional player, and I think he’s got confidence right now.”NOTES: Capitals C Jay Beagle, who missed the final three games of the regular season with an upper-body injury, did not practice Tuesday but skated afterward. Trotz is calling Beagle day-to-day. … Capitals RW T.J. Oshie said he feels great after resting a nagging lower-body injury and expects to be in the lineup for Game 1.—AP Sports Writer Mitch Stacy in Columbus, Ohio, contributed.— WASHINGTON (AP) — Remembering recent failures when it comes to extending winning streaks and fearing the defending Stanley Cup champions turned out to be a perfect recipe for the Dallas Stars.Dallas started fast with two goals 10 seconds apart and finished strong in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night, giving the Stars their first three-game winning streak of the season. Jason Dickinson scored 3:17 into overtime to keep Dallas rolling under first-year coach Jim Montgomery.“There’s a lot of belief right now Adidas Calvin De Haan Jersey ,” Montgomery said. “I don’t see any complacency in our group. I just see a determination and a focus that I haven’t seen before. That’s the exciting part.”The excitement is building for the Stars, who are starting to develop some consistency. Jason Spezza scored on a breakaway and Tyler Pitlick forced a turnover for an unassisted goal 10 seconds later as Dallas jumped out to a 2-0 lead that showed players they could hang with the Capitals.“When you come in here, there’s a little bit of fear of knowing that they can run you out of the rink if you’re not ready to go off the hop,” Spezza said. “You can’t take these guys lightly, and I thought we learned a lesson from some of the other games we played on the road.”In the process, the Stars also learned about rebounding from mistakes and moving forward after blowing a lead. Goaltender Ben Bishop allowed soft goals from sharp angles to Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov, Dallas’ defensive structure was lacking and yet it was able to get to overtime.Playing 3-on-3 in OT, Dallas outshot Washington 6-1. Capitals goalie Braden Holtby stopped Tyler Seguin on a penalty shot 59 seconds in, but Dickinson beat him on a deflection for his third of the season.“We’ll take it Adidas Michael Ferland Jersey ,” said Bishop, who stopped 29 shots. “They’re not always going to be Picassos. Sometimes you’re going to have to grind. Last game we had to hold on at the end. This one we had to find a way to come back and get that one in overtime. Finding different ways to win, that’s the big thing. It doesn’t matter how, just as long as you get it.”It also was a struggle for the Capitals, who turned the puck over on all three Stars goals in regulation and still had a chance after Kuznetsov tied it on the power play with 12:03 remaining in the third period. Brett Connolly also scored for Washington, but ill-timed turnovers in the wrong places led to a second consecutive defeat.“Every team comes fast like that,” said Holtby, who gave the puck away to Pitlick for his goal. “It’s not a surprise. You just have to be prepared for it and have a plan and execute. A couple plays, we didn’t do that.”While the Capitals continue to search for the kind of 60-minute effort that defined their playoff run last spring Adidas Jordan Schroeder Jersey , the Stars are feeling good in the middle of a long Eastern Conference road trip. Montgomery set the goal of three wins in six games, and his team is already there with two left before returning home.“Everyone’s contributing,” Montgomery said. “You’re together and it’s a good feeling and everyone is enjoying being around each other.”NOTES: Holtby finished with 32 saves plus his stop on Seguin on the penalty shot in overtime. … Captain Jamie Benn also scored for Dallas, his sixth goal of the season. … Capitals D Brooks Orpik missed his second consecutive game with a lower-body injury. He did not practice all week. … Stars D Marc Methot and F Alexander Radulov were out with lower-body injuries. Montgomery said Radulov returned to Dallas for treatment and will miss the final two games of the trip. … Montgomery said D Connor Carrick (foot) should be able to get back into skates soon.UP NEXTStars: At Boston on Monday in the fifth stop on their six-game trip.Capitals: Continue a five-game homestand against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday.