Okay, NHL Nation, the Washington Capitals’ season is a rollercoaster, and it’s not all about Alexander Ovechkin’s history chase anymore. Sure, Ovechkin is tantalizingly close to making history with only 12 goals needed to topple Wayne Gretzky’s mythical 894 record. But while the hockey community has been obsessed with this storyline, the Caps are have continued to win games… in an entirely risky manner. And surprise, surprise—head coach Spencer Carbery is not sugar-coating his words.
On March 1st, the Capitals released a clip from an interview with Carbery on X, and let’s just say—he did not hold back. “We have been able to come back in games even when we do fall behind, but as I’ve said many times, even after being successful in those situations and winning games in those situations, you are playing with fire in the National Hockey League if you play from behind,” he said. In other words, the Capitals’ habit of chasing games is not sustainable, and he knows it.
Head coach Spencer Carbery meets with the media ahead of today’s game with Tampa Bay to discuss Washington’s lineup and the importance of a good start.#CapsBolts pic.twitter.com/02V5oGqYfX
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 1, 2025
Carbery pointed out the simple reality—defensive lapses are killing them. “Little things inside of the game, whether it’s positioning on our forecheck, not getting beat up by the first goalie… terrible awareness from five guys on the ice. Every single guy plays a role in that goal, and we all looked at each other and went, I had no idea. Every single guy said I had no idea Broberg was on the back side. That’s not good enough.” The team’s got serious awareness issues, and while they’re dealing with it well enough in the regular season, the postseason is a different beast. Once it’s time for the playoffs, the Caps need to sort out these problems or risk facing an early exit—an exit that would really put a damper on what has been a fairytale season so far.
The Capitals did exhibit some problems after losing in consecutive games at Capital One Arena. The St. Louis Blues defeated Washington 5-2 on Thursday. Just a bit earlier, on Tuesday, the Flames defeated them 3-1 while Alex Ovechkin scored his 883rd career goal in the process.
The Washington Capitals reality check
If anyone thought this season was just about Ovechkin chasing history, Carbery’s comments serve as a wake-up call. Sure, Alex Ovechkin is still on track to break Gretzky’s record—he’s got 30 goals this season and needs 12 more to surpass 894, with 24 games remaining. But what good is history if the Washington Capitals can’t even string together any consistent performances?
This loss against Calgary, 3-1, not only stopped the Capitals from gaining points for eight games, (5-0-3) but also ended a 16-game home point streak (11-0-5). Before this game, they had not lost in regulation time at Capital One Arena since November 23, 2024, when they fell to the New Jersey Devils.
Carbery termed the team’s start against Calgary “terrible,” saying the first period was one of the worst that they had played all year. Defensive breakdowns led to two Calgary goals before Ovechkin’s power-play strike briefly gave Washington life. But even Ovechkin’s magic couldn’t erase the damage done, as the Flames sealed the win with a late goal by Jonathan Huberdeau. What do you think? Comment below!
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