The Washington Capitals were bad last year. They were terrible to watch thanks to the system they employed. They were injured. They looked old (sorry, Ovi). The lineups and roster decisions were baffling and self-sabotaging. They were under .500 and missed the playoffs not by a little, but by a lot. There were nights where I contemplated to just stop watching, but I couldn’t, because I’m married to this game through this website. I could not escape the horror. (Happy Friday the 13th, btw!)
But spooky season, at least… I think (?), is now gone, in figurative terms about DC hockey.
Usually the Capitals have vapid, completely innate mantras for their seasons. But this year’s tagline makes sense. I connect with it on a very personal level and I hope the players do too.
This year the Capitals have Something to prove.
Cue the video.
Something to prove.#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/46bmzVQJ5k
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 13, 2023
Here’s the transcript.
Spencer Carbery: What are the Washington Capitals? There’s a common theme there.
Darcy Kuemper: Compete and have a willingness to get better every day.
Spencer Carbery: How hard you work.
Tom Wilson: We need to get back to that winning culture, our identity.
TJ Oshie: There’s a lot of guys in our lineup that have things to prove in a lot of different ways.
Spencer Carbery: Pushing each other, you and veteran, that’s what I want to see.
Nicklas Backstrom: We work hard for ourselves, for our teammates, and for our fans.
Spencer Carbery: Compete at a high level, attention to details.
Evgeny Kuznetsov: We have everything to be successful we just have to raise the bar even higher.
Spencer Carbery: Everyone on our team has something to prove.
John Carlson: Just feels exciting to get a fresh start.
Tom Wilson: It’s a clean slate. When that puck drops, it’s a go time, we’ve got to be ready to go.
Alex Ovechkin: For the city, our fans, it’s up to us.
Over the offseason, the Capitals hired Spencer Carbery, an ECHL grinder and enforcer turned brilliant leader, who’s in his first year as an NHL head coach. The Capitals have a superstar core that’s another year older, but coming off a five month offseason where they could recuperate and fully train. Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson, who missed half of last season due to injury, looked healthy and top-notch players again during the preseason.
The Capitals have integrated eight players into the Opening Night roster who are 25-years-old or younger. That includes four key members of the Hershey Bears’ 2023 Calder Cup championship team.
The system and type of hockey the Capitals will try to play is fast. Their power play has been re-tooled. There is an optimism that didn’t exist last year.
At 7:30 pm, the puck will drop on the Capitals’ new season against their longterm geographic rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
It says, painted atop their locker room, that they have something to prove. The question now becomes: Will they prove it?
Tomorrow, we fill this barn with 🔴RED🔴#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/TZlFgAOrvm
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 13, 2023
Screenshot: @Capitals/X
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