ARLINGTON, V.A. — As the Washington Capitals finish up the regular season, coach Spencer Carbery plans to manage some of his top performers’ minutes and potentially sit some names for load management down the stretch in order to prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Alex Ovechkin, however, will not factor into those plans, and will not be sitting out as he chases Wayne Gretzky’s record.
“Can you imagine if I did that?” Carbery laughed, adding, “If O is still chasing the record, I doubt he’ll be sitting in section 304.”
Ovechkin currently sits eight goals away from breaking the record, with 15 games to go in the regular season.
Still, Carbery did seriously say that load management will be a key in these final games, and that it’s also important for him to get his regular healthy scratches some games, too.
“The bigger concern for me right now is trying to get some games for (Alex) Alexeyev and (Dylan) McIlrath and how that works… they haven’t played in so long,” Carbery said, adding, “I would be shocked if those guys weren’t playing down the stretch here.”
Carbery said the Capitals will plan things out on the load management front, and that April would likely get “hectic.”
That said, the goal is to be prepared and well-rested for the playoffs.
Washington continues its final push of the season on Tuesday as it plays host to the Detroit Red Wings.