Reeling from two blowout losses in the last week, the Washington Capitals have held multiple players-only meetings in recent days. As reported by The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell and The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir, Caps players spoke with the media on Tuesday about how the team got into their present situation and how they can get out of it again.

For TJ Oshie, it’s all about identity.

Defender Trevor van Riemsdyk justified the decision to have a players-only meeting, saying they are not for teams in dire straits. “I think [players-only meetings] can be really effective this time of the year,” van Riemsdyk said. “Whether things are going well or you’re on a little bit of a skid to kind of get everyone together for these last games left.”

These meetings can sometimes feel like an implicit condemnation of coaching, but Oshie said that’s not the case for coach Peter Laviolette.

“Any time you’re in a rut like this, and this is in my opinion,” Oshie told the press, as reported by Samantha Pell, “we’re not playing to our identity. I don’t think any amount of coaching would get you out of that.

“We’ve been talking as a group as players, and just getting some thoughts out there on what things need to change. So I think we got a pretty good handle on it. And our next two games, there’s probably no one else I’d rather play to get us going again.”

The Capitals will play at home on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Headline photo: Cara Bahniuk/RMNB