Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery throws his team under the bus as pre-season struggles grow
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Tom Banks
September 26, 2024 (7:44)
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Photo credit: The American Hockey League
The Washington Capitals have a talented roster that could challenge for a Stanley Cup Playoff spot in 2024/25, but thus far, their Head Coach hasn't quite seen it.
Last season, the Washington Capitals snuck into the Stanley Cup Playoffs late in the year, and after making some significant additions this summer, it appears they are ready to do it again in 2024/25. Those additions include Pierre-Luc Dubois, Jakob Chychrun, Logan Thompson and Andrew Mangiapane among others, and with an ageing veteran in Alex Ovechkin, they'll need to treat ever year like it's their last with their all-time great captain.
However, it appears things behind the scenes may not be going as well as many had expected, with Head Coach Spencer Carbery calling out the team with a scathing indictment of their performance thus far in training camp and pre-season.
I'll be totally honest with you... there hasn't been a lot of separation thus far through training camp. I haven't seen someone take the bull by the horns, own that spot and go 'Holy'.
With so many new pieces in the lineup, sometimes it takes a bit more time to gel and find that chemistry, but with Ovechkin leading the way and a team that can compete for a playoff spot this year, they just don't have the time to wait. Through two pre-season games, the team sit at 0-2 with four goals scored and a whopping 10 allowed, and if things are worse at practice than in games like Carbery has suggested, this isn't a good look for the team.
Thankfully for Washington, they have a great blend of youth and experience in their lineup, and there is time for them to turn it around before the regular season begins, but with so much competition in the Eastern Conference, they better not wait too long or their Stanley Cup Playoff goals may be gone before they know it.