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Postgame takeaways suggest Carbery is losing the coaching edge in second-round series
Photo credit: X.com
The pivotal shift that changed everything for the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference Second Round began in their own zone with 11:18 left in the first period of Game 4 at Lenovo Center on Monday.
The Hurricanes went on to secure a 5-2 victory, their second consecutive home win in the series and fifth straight home win in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series and putting the Capitals on the verge of elimination.
Postgame takeaways suggest that the Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is losing the coaching edge to Rob Brind'Amour and his Hurricanes.
Following his team's 5-2 loss in Game 4, Carbery addressed the media on Monday night talking about his struggles finding the right matchups against the Hurricanes.
"We're giving ourselves some opportnitnes, we're just not executing...making the play, whatever you want to call it. And making some mistakes, and they're capitalizing." -Carbery
Here's Carbery's postgame media availability.
Full postgame media availability with head coach Spencer Carbery following Game 4 tonight in Raleigh.
While the Hurricanes certainly earned the Game 4 win, the Capitals contributed to their own downfall with poor execution at several critical moments, including failing to capitalize on their power-play.
During the Game 2 postgame broadcast, ESPN pointed out that Alex Ovechkin did not play the final five minutes, a strategic change that has developed over the playoffs.
With the 39-year-old legend no longer closing out games and the team averaging only 2.57 power plays per game, Ovechkin's average ice time has taken a hit in the postseason.
This series against the Carolina Hurricanes has been played at a blistering pace, and it's clear Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery is leaning on his more defensive-minded players to stop the red hot Hurricanes.
Though the series is far from over, it's evident that Carbery is being outcoached and needs to find a way generate more offense against a strong Hurricanes team.
Game 5 is set for Thursday at 7:00pm back in Washington.
| POLL | ||
MAI 13 | 37 ANSWERS Postgame takeaways suggest Carbery is losing the coaching edge in second-round series Do you think the Capitals will extend the series with a win over the Hurricanes in Game 5 on Thursday? | ||
| yes | 21 | 56.8 % |
| no | 16 | 43.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
