A 12th-year professional who returns for his fourth season with the Capitals.
2007-08
Finished one game under .500 with a 7-8-2 record in 19 appearances … Allowed two goals or fewer in 10 of his 17 starts … Won the season opener at ATL on 10/5, 3-1 … Made 46 saves 10/13 at BUF, the most by a Caps goaltender last season … Went 6-4-1 with a 2.38 GAA and a .917 save percentage under Bruce Boudreau … Stopped 24 of 25 shots and was the second star 12/1 at FLA … Made 37 saves on 40 shots in a rehab start for Hershey (1/11) … Posted a .923 save percentage in five appearances in January … Stopped 31 of 32 shots in a 2-1 win vs. TOR (1/24), earning first star … Was the third star in an overtime loss to NJ on 2/24.
Career
2006-07: Played 30 games, his most since 2002-03 … Appeared in his 200th NHL game on 3/1 vs. TB … Made 30-plus saves 13 times, including three straight starts to end the season … 21 of his 30 appearances came on the road, with a .895 save percentage in those games … Stopped 76 of 81 shots (.938) in his first two starts, a pair of shootout losses (10/12 at MIN, 10/19 at ATL) … Was named the third star in three of his first five appearances … Stopped 33 of 36 shots 11/4 at PHI, snapping a 16-game Caps winless streak in PHI … Stopped all 21 shots he faced in 49 minutes of relief duty 11/6 vs. OTT, paving the way for a 4-3 OT win … Made 35 saves, including one on a penalty shot, in a 3-2 OT loss 11/18 at BOS … Posted wins in back-to-back starts, 12/9 at PHI (33 saves) and 12/15 at ATL (30 saves) … Played 12 of 13 games, including nine straight starts (2/15-3/12) … Allowed three goals or fewer in seven of those 12 games … Posted 29 saves in a 4-2 win 2/24 at NJ, Washington’s first win at NJ since 3/28/02 … Made a season-high 42 saves and allowed just two goals in a 3-0 loss 3/9 at CAR … Posted a .915 save percentage in his final three starts (1-1-1, 97 saves, 9 GA) … Stopped 30 of 32 shots to win his last start of the year, 4/4 at ATL.
2005-06: Acquired by Washington the day before the season opener and played 26 games … Made eight of his 22 starts in the last 19 games of the season … Posted a 9-12-1 record … Won three shootouts, allowing only two shootout goals on 13 attempts … His shootout save percentage (.846) ranked 10th in the NHL and second among goalies who faced at least 10 shootout attempts … Went 4-1-1 in his last six starts, allowing one goal or less in all four of the victories (1.78 GAA, .958 save percentage) … His April save percentage (.953) and GAA (1.94) ranked third and fourth, respectively, in the NHL for the month … Faced 40-plus shots nine times … Made his Capitals debut at CAR (10/12) and stopped 10 of 11 shots in 12:03 of action … Made his first Capitals start vs. NYI (10/13) and posted 44 saves … His 44 saves vs. NYI are the most ever by a goalie making his first Capitals start (Roger Crozier had made 40 in a 3-3 tie at DET, 3/13/77) … Started three straight games (11/12-11/17) … Posted his first Capitals win vs. TB (11/15), making 32 saves on 35 shots and stopping all three shootout attempts … Won back-to-back games, at ANA (1/13, 32 saves, 2 GA in an OT win) and at PHX (1/16, 21 saves, 1 GA) … Helped Capitals snap a four-game losing streak in the first game after the Olympic break with a 5-3 win at TOR (2/28) … Made a career-best 49 saves 3/29 at CAR and was named the No. 1 star … Stopped 46 shots in a 1-0 shutout at OTT (4/1), the highest scoring team in the league … Allowed only one goal and made more than 40 saves in each of his last two starts of the season (42 saves, 1 GA at TB, 4/18, and 47 saves, 1 GA at FLA, 4/15).
2004-05: Did not play.
2003-04: Played in 10 games for STL before being traded to PHX … Recorded the 12th shutout of his career against NSH (10/28), making 26 saves … Won back-to-back games allowing only one goal against NSH (10/28) and ANA (11/4) … Played eight games for Worcester (AHL), posting a 2.30 GAA and a 2-2-2 record … Joined PHX for eight games, posting a 2.59 GAA … Defeated MIN on 3/22 with 27 saves on 29 shots.
2002-03: Played 38 games for STL, posting a 16-13-5 record … Played in his 100th career NHL game on 12/23 vs. LA, posting his 11th career shutout … Became one of six active goaltenders to notch 10-or-more shutouts in their first 100 games … Was named NHL Player of the Week for the week ending 12/29, posting four consecutive victories, a 1.25 GAA, a .951 save percentage and one shutout over that span … Missed 27 games due to a high ankle sprain and five games due to a pulled groin.
2001-02: Set a career high in wins (34) for STL, ranking fifth in the NHL … Finished eighth in the NHL with a 2.18 GAA … Set a career high with five shutouts … Posted a franchise and career-high 10 game winning streak from 1/3-/23, posting a .910 save percentage and a 2.07 GAA over the span … Finished the season with four assists … Became the first goaltender in NHL history to record shutouts as his first three playoff wins … Tied an NHL record by becoming the fourth goaltender in NHL history to register three straight shutouts in a playoff series … Tied an NHL record held by seven other goalies with three shutouts in a playoff series … Established the Blues record for consecutive shutout minutes during the postseason (206:45) … Recorded three consecutive shutouts for the first time in franchise history … Became the third goalie in NHL history to record back-to-back shutouts as his first two playoff wins.
2000-01: Ranked fifth in the NHL and second among NHL rookie goaltenders in GAA posting a 2.17 with STL … Posted a 19-9-2 record in 31 games totaling 1,744 minutes and notching four shutouts … Registered a .907 save percentage … Played in two playoff games, posting a 1.94 GAA in 62 minutes played.
1999-00: Played the entire season with Worcester, appearing in 58 regular season games, posting a 24-27-5 record and a 2.91 GAA … Posted three shutouts … Played in nine playoff games for the IceCats, posting a 2.46 GAA in 561 minutes played … Recorded his first postseason shutout.
1998-99: Made his NHL debut with STL 2/16 vs. VAN … Earned his first win vs. CGY on 2/26 … Played in a total of six games, posting a 2.10 GAA and a 3-2-0 record … Played 49 games with Worcester, posting a 2.99 GAA and a 22-22-4 record … Appeared in four postseason games with the IceCats.
1997-98: Made his professional debut with Worcester … Played in 42 games, posting a 3.19 GAA … Appeared in six playoff games, posting a 3-2 record and a 3.43 GAA.
Junior Career
Played three seasons with Owen Sound (OHL), registering 47 wins and two shutouts.
1996-97: Played in his third season for Owen Sound, appearing in 50 games … Posted a 20-28-1 record … Appeared in four playoff games.
1995-96: Posted his first shutout with Owen Sound … Played in 58 games and went 24-28-1 … Appeared in six playoff games.
1994-95: Played in his first season for Owen Sound, appearing in 18 games and posting a 3-9-1 record.
1993-94: Played in 18 games for Detroit Compuware (NAJHL), posting one shutout and a 3.52 GAA.
NHL Transactions
Selected by Colorado in the fifth round, 129th overall, in the 1995 Entry Draft … Traded to St. Louis by Colorado for San Jose’s third-round pick in the 1997 Entry Draft (Rick Berry), May 30, 1997 … Traded to Phoenix by St. Louis for Mike Sillinger, March 4, 2005 … Signed as a free agent by Vancouver, Sept. 1, 2005 … Claimed off waivers from Vancouver by the Capitals on Oct. 4, 2005.
Personal
Supports Athletes Against Autism … Involved with the Garth Brooks Teammates for Kids Foundation … Spends time in the offseason playing tennis, golfing and hiking … Lists football as his favorite sport other than hockey and Peyton Manning as his favorite athlete … Nickname: “Johnny” … Is an avid music and movie fan … Lists Led Zeppelin as his favorite band … Put on his first pair of skates at four … Father and grandfather both played in the NHL … Father, Bob, was a goaltender with St. Louis and Pittsburgh … Grandfather, Sid Abel, is a Hall of Famer who played 14 seasons with Detroit and Chicago.
