After a three-game skid, the Washington Capitals hoped a change of scenery would revitalize the team as they faced the Carolina Hurricanes at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium. That did not happen. Instead, the Caps must now reckon with a four-game losing streak during which they have not held a lead.
Following their 4-1 loss to the Canes on Saturday night, Capitals players and head coach Peter Laviolette spoke to the media and tried to explain what went wrong and what this team needs to do moving forward.
“I don’t think concern is the right word,” TJ Oshie said. “I think our playoff hockey probably starts in this next week here, otherwise, we’re gonna be on the outside looking in.”
Peter Laviolette: The Hurricanes were the better team
Laviolette focused on the competitive mismatch between the Capitals — who he saw as slower and offensively challenged — and Hurricanes–who he described as the more defensively-minded and faster team.
- “They were faster–we couldn’t, we couldn’t get breakaway speed out of our end, we couldn’t get through the neutral zone.”
- “Offensively, they were quick to defend. We couldn’t get off the walls. we couldn’t get to the front of the net.”
- “They played at a different gear.”
- “We didn’t crank it up offensively like we would like to.”
- “We found ourselves just chasing them and chasing the game.”
- “It was not the performance that we wanted.”
- “It has to do with, you know, the speed in which we move our legs, the speed in which we move the game, the speed in which we move the puck.”
Nicklas Backstrom: Caps need to get better in all three zones
Backstrom noted that the Capital’s recent struggles have not been limited to a single area of play. Rather, to improve, the team will have to work on each area of the game.
- “No breakouts, no neutral zone play, no forecheck, so it was pretty flat out there.”
- “Obviously we need to take care of it”
- “We haven’t been good lately, in [the defensive] area.”
- “We all see and how we feel out there, how our game is being played…it doesn’t look good, that’s for sure.”
- “I think everything [needs to be addressed,] to be honest with you. D-zone, neutral zone, offensive zone. I mean, it’s not working.”
Lars Eller: Everyone has to play better
While not taking shots at any particular player, Eller harshly criticized his and his teammates’ play over the past week. He stressed a need for each and every team member to improve from the ground up.
- “Every single player’s just got to look at themselves…and do everything better.”
- “I think everybody has good intentions, I think everybody is trying, but we just, individually, we’re not at our best and we’re not, as units of five, we’re not at our best. We’re not in sync.”
- “We’re just struggling to complete two passes in a row tonight.”
- “For whatever reason, I can’t–it’s tough to analyze why that is right now, but it starts with a, just, real basics. I think the plan is there for the execution; we’ve done it plenty of times this year, we just…poor execution right now, and we’re missing ten, fifteen percent from our, I feel like everybody.”
- “It’s not there consistently the last four games.”
- “We’re not close to being at our best”
TJ Oshie: It’s time to play playoff hockey
Even with the absences of Alexander Ovechkin, John Carlson, and Nic Dowd, Oshie was confident that the remaining members of the Capitals squad have the ability to win games. However, doing so would require a new style of play moving forward.
- “I don’t know, we’re running out of room here.”
- “I don’t think concern is the right word. I think our playoff hockey probably starts in this next week here, otherwise, we’re gonna be on the outside looking in.”
- “We need everyone playing a playoff style if we’re gonna climb back into this thing.”
- “The guys in the lineup are more than capable of getting us some wins…might not dominate every game but we’re very capable of getting wins”
- “We haven’t been playing well enough to do that.”
Tom Wilson: Caps players need to work as a team
Wilson reinforced the importance of teamwork and momentum in the remaining games of the season: if the team can come together and start to improve, that can snowball into better performance overall.
- “I think we need to help each other a little bit more.”
- “It’s just kind of a little bit off.”
- “We just gotta work for each other. And I think it’s, you know, one of those things: a couple of pucks go in the net and guys start feeling better, making plays, and you know, we can build on that.”
Dylan Strome: time to reset before next game
Although analyzing a loss remains important for the team, Strome emphasized the additional need for the team to look ahead and focus on the games ahead.
- “I thought we had a chance, last game [against the Florida Panthers]. Tonight, obviously we didn’t have that little pushback that we needed at times.”
- “I’m not sure [how to return to the team’s quality earlier in the season.] We’ve got to get it back quick, though. We gotta reset and regroup and stop this losing streak, you know, now, before it’s too late.”
- “Obviously a big game on Tuesday, and we gotta put this one behind us and move forward with Tuesday.”
Headline photo: @kkmortier/Twitter
