ARLINGTON, VA — Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is plenty familiar with the Florida Panthers. The last time Carbery coached against them, the Cats had just eliminated his former Toronto Maple Leafs, defeating them in the second round on the way to their remarkable Stanley Cup Final run.
As the Capitals prepare to face the Panthers for the first time this year, that playoff loss remains fresh in Carbery’s mind. He admitted Wednesday morning that he still had something of a sore spot for the team that ended his season this spring.
When asked if the game felt especially personal, Carbery offered a wry smile.
“I don’t know about personal, but there is definitely, when I was watching the clips and watching them, there is some scar tissue there,” he said. “They’re just a frustrating team; they’re a good hockey team. I was watching [the video] and feeling a lot of like, ‘gosh.’ They cause a lot of issues for you.”
Carbery got an up-close look at the Panthers’ skill last May. After the Leafs earned their first series victory in 19 years against the Tampa Bay Lightning, they eked out only a single win against Florida.
“I felt that firsthand for a two week stretch,” he says. “I wish it was more than five games, but it was only five games, but you can feel why they’ve been so successful, why they went to the Stanley Cup Finals. So I definitely felt that going back through and seeing what they do well and breaking down their game as a whole.”
Though he’s still frustrated with the outcome, Carbery’s familiarity with the Panthers could prove an advantage for the Capitals given his time studying the team. He identified the particular threats posed by Matthew Tkachuk, who put up five assists against the Leafs in the course of a stellar playoff performance.
“Without giving away the whole game plan, there’s a few things that go into it for him. There’s the skill part of it. Unbelievable with his stick. Tips, finding pucks. Using his body position. His skill — and this is where I, from doing a deep dive last year on him through the playoffs, his small area skill…And the other part of it is the IQ. And this is probably harder to evaluate because he just always seems to know where the puck’s going to end up.”
He also highlighted Tkachuk’s sandpaper-like style of play, known for throwing opponents off their game. “When you need a spark, when you feel like your group is lagging in an area or down or needs some life, it’s funny how now those types of things start to happen because he’s smart. He’s trying to change momentum. He’s trying to get reactions. He’s trying to change momentum, get our group off their game and the opposition off their game. And he’s real good at it. We need to be smart in those areas.”
Still, Carbery remained confident that his team would keep its cool Wednesday night.
“I think our veteran guys are really good at helping our younger guys, understanding players in the league, what they’re about, when to tone it back,” he explained. “I even felt like, I know a couple times, like Tom got hot, but that’s more of emotional situation, ref. I feel like we’re pretty good in those situations.”
With nearly six months to cool off since the Panthers’ second-round win, most of Carbery’s anger has faded, replaced by a sort of admiration as he prepares to face an old enemy once again.
“I don’t know if there’s animosity that carries over, but I have a lot of respect for the team, I have a lot of respect for their coaching staff, so I know we have our hands full and try to get out on the right side of it tonight.”
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
