Embracing Change: Why We Need to Make Several Major Adjustments

Washington Capitals’ loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday resulted in a 5-0 defeat, and unfortunately, it raised some serious concerns about the team’s performance in special teams for head coach Spencer Carbery.

The Caps struggled to capitalize on power-play opportunities, going 0 for 5, further deepening their position as the NHL’s lowest-ranking team in power play percentage. With only a 6 percent effectiveness, the Capitals trail 2.5 percent behind the next worst team, the St. Louis Blues. In fact, league-wide, only eight teams have scored fewer than 10 power-play goals, with the Capitals having the lowest with just three.

Things only got worse as they watched helplessly as the Oilers scored three times on the power play, with goals from Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl, after falling behind 2-0 in the first period.

After the game, Carbery expressed the need for major changes, including personnel shifts, improved puck management, recovery, decision-making, and strategies to turn their power play around. Previously serving as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carbery knows the potential of a successful power play unit, having led the team to first place in the league’s power-play effectiveness in the 2021-22 season.

However, the responsibility for turning around the Capitals’ power play currently lies with assistant coach Kirk Mullr, who is a former NHL player with a history of coaching power-play units. Consequently, Carbery remains determined to bring change to the Capitals’ power play formation to keep opponents guessing and neutralize their reliance on Alex Ovechkin.

Despite their unfortunate track record, the Capitals have shown promise by generating 14.51 expected goals, ranking 15th best in the league. The team remains hopeful about their future prospects and aims to make significant improvements in their upcoming games.

As the Capitals gear up for upcoming games, including a five-game road trip, they are striving to work through their power play struggles and bring about a turnaround in their performance.

“We’re trying,” Ovechkin said. “We try to work in practice. It’s frustrating for us. But we have to keep fighting.”

Headline photo: Alan Dobbins/RMNB