Capitals Power Play

Grim milestone: The Capitals’ power play hasn’t scored for over an hour of game time

The Washington Capitals’ power play reached a grim milestone against the San Jose Sharks on Monday night.

After the team’s first futile power play against the Sharks, the Capitals passed an hour of man advantage time since they last scored. The team finished 0 for 3 on the power play against the league-worst Sharks, pushing their PP scoreless streak to 1 hour, five minutes, and 15 seconds.

The last time the Capitals scored on the power play was over a month ago on October 27 against the Minnesota Wild. Dylan Strome lit the lamp on Marc-Andre Fleury 17 minutes and 14 seconds into the first period of the game, giving the Caps a 2-1 lead.

The PP scoreless streak then began on the team’s next power play after that coming via a Pat Maroon interference call on Rasmus Sandin.

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By Ian Oland 1 day ago

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Alex Ovechkin to stay in signature power play spot despite Capitals looking to make big changes to unit

Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery was clearly not happy with his team’s power play after their 0-for-5 performance against the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. The Capitals have not scored on a man advantage in a full month and have just three total power play goals 17 games into the 2023-24 season.

Carbery remarked after their latest futile efforts that major changes were coming to how the special teams unit operates. On Sunday, the team got their first chance to practice with some of those changes.

While some past constants sound like they’re being tweaked, one ever present one is not. Carbery revealed that the NHL’s all-time leader in power play goals, Alex Ovechkin, will be staying in his signature spot in the left faceoff circle.

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By Chris Cerullo 3 days ago

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Spencer Carbery plans big moves for the Capitals’ league-worst power play: ‘We’re going to have to change a bunch’

The Washington Capitals lost to the Edmonton Oilers 5-0 on Friday, but the performance by the Caps’ special teams appears to have crossed a line for head coach Spencer Carbery.

The Caps went 0 for 5 with the extra man, pushing them further into last place in the NHL in power play percentage. The Caps’ 6 percent effectiveness is 2.5 percent worse than the next closest team, the St. Louis Blues (8.5 percent). Only eight teams in the NHL have scored under double digits in power-play goals; the Capitals have a league-worst three.

Even worse, after falling behind 2-0 in the first period, the Capitals watched helplessly as the Oilers score three different times on the power play, getting goals from Evan Bouchard and Leon Draisaitl.

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By Ian Oland 4 days ago

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Capitals change power play personnel, roles at morning skate

The Capitals’ power play is 0 for 9 through the first two games of the season after the unit struggled mightily during the 2021-22 campaign. The special teams struggles are a major reason why the Capitals are winless to start the season.

During the team’s morning skate on Saturday, Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette made some changes, and most notably, the top power-play unit is getting a revamp.

Marcus Johansson was added to PP1 while Evgeny Kuznetsov was bumped down to the second group.

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By Ian Oland and Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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Dylan Strome assigned to Capitals’ first power play unit, plays down low at goal line position

The Washington Capitals took the ice for another day of Training Camp on Tuesday and got in some special teams’ work for the first time in the preseason. Notable omissions due to injury were Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson.

Specifically, in the case of Backstrom, that means a spot has opened up on the first unit. Offseason addition Dylan Strome got the first crack at trying to fill it.

The legendary Swedish centerman is the all-time franchise leader in power play assists (330) and is second all-time only to Ovechkin in overall power-play points (410).

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By Chris Cerullo 1 year ago

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Brian MacLellan: Capitals want different ‘philosophies’, not full revamp to beleaguered power play

The Washington Capitals have one of the worst power plays in the NHL, but if the Caps are going to fix it, they will do so with the same formation and same coaches.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan spoke about the team’s once-vaunted extra-man unit during a press conference with reporters on Wednesday. He admitted the power play’s performance has hurt the team in the standings, but the team is focused more on fixing and re-tooling what they have than wholesale changes.

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By Ian Oland 2 years ago

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