The Washington Capitals’ 2023 season has not started as they had hoped. In his first year as head coach, Spencer Carbery sought to turn the page on the Capitals’ recent history and infuse
the roster with young talent to complement the aging core, in an effort to avoid a repeat of the shortcomings from the previous season.
However, in the first three games of the season, the Capitals have surrendered a total of 12 goals, and have fallen behind by at least two goals in the first period of every game. To compound the issue, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin has managed only two shots in three games and hasn’t put a single puck on net in the last two games, something that has never happened in his career.
The NHL season is an 83-game grind, offering teams ample time to overcome slumps in their schedule. Of course, every team experiences its fair share of highs and lows over the course of a
season.
Nonetheless, the Capitals are competing in a highly competitive Metropolitan Division in 2023, and the leeway for a slow start won’t last forever. The Capitals’ 6-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators has raised concerns among fans and shed light on crucial areas that Washington must improve in the coming games.
Head Coach Spencer Carberry expressed his frustration postgame in Ottawa, stating, “The second period was sort of the microcosm of how the year is going for this group right now,” Carbery added.” “Every mistake we make is ending up in the back of the net.”
Once again, the Capitals found themselves trailing by multiple goals in the first period, but John Carlson managed to score with 1:07 remaining in the period, narrowing the gap to just one
goal. However, the rest of the game belonged to Ottawa.
On a positive note, for Washington, one of the advantages of the long NHL season is that the next game is just around the corner, which leaves little time for worry as the Caps hit the ice again north of the border. The Capitals will continue their road trip in Montreal, facing the Canadiens on Saturday night, with hopes of returning from their tour of Canada with a 2-2 record.