Capitals' Erickson provides calming presence in net

Even though his love for the position came on a whim, Erickson has developed into an anchor in net for the Capitals. After splitting time in net last season, Erickson took the No. 1 position and has been a rock in net for the Capitals in the early going of their 2023-24 campaign.

“He was a huge anchor for us last year,” Capitals coach Patrick Cunningham said. “When Isaak was put in tough positions, he always played huge for us. So far this year, we’ve been really happy with what we’ve seen out of him, and his work ethic has been good out here.”

One of Erickson’s greatest strengths on the ice is his athleticism and his ability to skate. While goalies don’t have to skate the long distances forwards and defensemen do, skating is still a critical component of goaltending.

Erickson’s ability to skate, like most hockey players, is something that has been instilled in him from a young age.

“I started playing hockey at 4, so it’s obviously come with the territory,” Erickson said. “Last year, and the years before, I was taking lessons. I’ve always been quicker, but I haven’t worked on it that specifically.”

Because of the “butterfly” stance goalies sit in whenever the puck is in their zone, goaltenders go through extreme leg workouts to ensure they are fresh throughout the course of the game. Erickson is no exception, and puts a great deal of effort in to make sure he is flexible and fresh as the game goes on.

“That’s the biggest thing,” Erickson said. “If you pull or tear something, you have to sit out (longer than most other positions). You don’t train like a body builder, you more train like an athlete with more quick change of direction and acceleration.”

While Erickson’s abilities are fully on display on the ice, one of his best traits is how he behaves behind the scenes. Cunningham said he has been most impressed with how helpful Erickson has been to the younger goalies on the team this season.

“He does a really good job of helping the other goalies on the ice when they come to him to ask questions,” Cunningham said. “… He’s good to all his teammates and the other goalies who come up, and that says a lot about someone in how they treat the younger kids coming up. He’s been super supportive, and I know he’s always giving good tips and setting a good example.”

Erickson, and the Capitals in general, got off to a rough start to this season, dropping their first four games. During that span, Erickson had over a 5.0 goals against average, but still held a save percentage above 91%.

But over the last three games before the Christmas break, Erickson found his stride. During the Capitals’ three-game winning streak, Erickson allowed three total goals and had a save percentage of 0.971. He didn’t allow more than one goal in each of those three games.

The three-game stretch will serve as a big confidence booster for Erickson, who said before the streak that he had struggled with playing well consistently.

“I would play well in the night games and then get pulled in the morning,” Erickson said. “I go in with a lot of confidence in a night game, but in the morning, I don’t know what happens.”

One of the hardest parts about playing in net in hockey is dealing with the added mental pressure. While all athletes experience some sort of pressure, few experience it more than goaltenders because their play is constantly under a microscope. One goal can swing a game, and one bad performance can kill months of built-up confidence.

Erickson said he deals with that pressure in a unique way.

“Since I was 10, a lot of times I will find a song that is stuck in my head,” Erickson said. “So, I will sing that song, or I will be thinking of something … (That’s a) superstition I have. If I have a song stuck in my head and I’m playing well, I won’t stop it.”