Capitals’ Braden Holtby takes time from preparing for Game 7 at MSG to become a father

Braden Holtby re-enacts the conception of his son.

Braden Holtby is having a pretty impressive spring. First, the Washington Capitals' rookie netminder was dropped into a first-round series with the Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins, and oh, he only managed to out-goaltend reigning Conn Smythe winner Tim Thomas in leading his team to a massive first-round upset. Then, his Capitals went up against the New York Rangers where Holtby's only managed to push the Eastern Conference's number one seed to a Game 7.

But wait! There's more! Holtby's fiancee just gave birth to a baby. From Capitals Insider:

Holtby was already going to have a tough time making that June prom he was invited to, what with his aspirations for still being in the playoffs, but that prom-posal's looking even iffier now. Looks like he'll have some stuff on his plate either way. (Probably baby spit-up. It gets everywhere.)

That middle name raises a ton of questions. First, why didn't they give him two, and make the second one "Hearst"? Hunter "Hearst" Holtby would have been a sweet WWE tribute.

Second, speaking of tributes, after Brooks Laich's comments that he'd like Dale Hunter back next year, is this middle name further evidence that the Capitals are beginning to rally around their coach? Considering the goaltender-friendly posture the team has adopted under Hunter, Holtby in particular owes the coach a debt of gratitude.

Or maybe Hunter named the baby himself in some serious over-coaching.

Edit: Sadly, nothing so interesting. It's Holtby's mother's maiden name. Booooooring.

No doubt, when Holtby and his fiancee were planning the baby, they didn't expect its birth might conflict with such a big game. Something tells me they might have worked around it. (Or maybe they wouldn't have. Babies are good luck; perhaps they hoped it would be born just before a Game 7 and give the Capitals' skaters a one-day PDO boost?)

Either way, Baby Benjamin adds another massive subplot to Holtby's incredible Cinderella story. Not only has he been unflappable as airplane wings in his first taste of postseason action, but he's been doing this with a baby on the way. How nuts is that? And now, the double rookie -- first-time NHL backstop, first-time Dad -- is two days from playing a Saturday night Game 7 at Madison Square Garden.

That leads us to the big question: Can he possibly have any emotion left?

But the bigger question: now that Braden Holtby's parents are grandparents, how much more facetime are they going to get if they're in the house on Saturday? And now that she's a grandma, does Mama Holtby know she's obligated to fill her purse with butterscotch candies?