The Capitals have been sputtering lately and things came to a head Monday night.
After a second period which featured some of the Caps’ worst hockey in years, Barry Trotz took matters into his own hands.
CSN Mid-Atlantic’s Jill Sorenson reported that Trotz gave the team a much-needed verbal lashing inside the locker room. She described what she learned from unnamed players during the postgame show.
“I just got out of the locker room and the players tell me that Barry Trotz actually ripped them pretty hard in the second intermission,” Sorenson said. “Basically, told them to wake up. This is not how they play. Play for each other. You guys can do better with a lot of colorful language involved. And they responded.”
In the third period, the Caps dominated play. Marcus Johansson tied the game with six minutes remaining in the stanza. Johansson would later score in overtime, giving the Caps an improbably 3-2 victory.
On Sportslive Extra, Sorenson elaborated more on Trotz’s impassioned plea to his players.
“I probably can’t repeat any of the specifics,” Sorenson said laughing, hinting there were a lot of expletives used. “Apparently the team needed it. The players said we did need it. He did need to come in here and basically lay it on the line and say you guys are not playing up the level that you all know you can play at – that you all expect from each other. There was probably some [talk] about the players’ trust in each other during that speech – if you want to call it a speech – as well. Barry just laid it out there. It wasn’t players standing up. It was Barry laying it all out there.”
During his postgame press conference, Trotz would only say this.
“I had a few words and the rest has to come from the room,” Trotz said. “I mean, I can say my piece, but the room has to get it done. And they came out with a better attitude, I would say. And they found a way.”
Whatever Trotz said, it worked.
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