The Capitals have gone 0-for-15 on the man advantage over the last four games.
The Capitals have gone 0-for-15 on the man advantage over the last four games.
The Washington Capitals have had no problem generating offense this season — except when they're on the power play.
Washington, who has won five straight games since dropping the season opener, has been able to score at 5-on-5 and even shorthanded, but the performance on the man advantage leaves quite a bit to be desired.
After netting power-play goals in back-to-back games to open the year, the Capitals power play has dried up, going 0-for-15 over the last four games. Their nine percent success rate on the man advantage is the third-worst in the league, even though they average the third-most goals per game in the league at this point.
"A lot of different areas that we've got to iron out," head coach Spencer Carbery.
Since those first two games, the power play has struggled in several spots. First, the entries haven't been organized, as D.C. has struggled to carry the puck in effectively. Then, it comes down to keeping possession of the puck and getting quality chances off.
"We haven’t been generating nearly enough, we haven’t been able to enter and possess the puck nearly enough," Carbery said.
For Carbery, the woes are also expected with the team also welcoming several newcomers to the mix, including Pierre-Luc Dubois. Assistant coach Mitch Love has also taken a hand in power-play duties, working with Kirk Muller.
"I'm seeing a group that's trying to create some chemistry right now," Carbery said. "We're still sorting through a bunch of entry stuff, positioning of what that looks like. Where do we best utilize our plethora of left shots, and then in-zone as well, with Dubois and how that fits. It's certainly a work in progress."
Washington will continue to make tweaks and modifications, as the main priority is establishing an identity that works. And though there are still a lot of unknowns, Carbery is ready to make changes and see what works.
"I don't think it's an overnight (fix); it's undetermined on what it's going to look like," Carbery said. "What's our bread and butter, what's the M.O. of this power play group and frankly, (does) the personnel stay the same? Do we need to look at putting different people out in some positions? All options are in play."
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