The Capitals are the top team in the East. ARLINGTON, V.A. — Hendrix Lapierre isn't oblivious to the fact that his first full season with the Washington Capitals hasn't gone according to plan; he's just not exactly sure why. Still, he's not sugarcoating anything — and not even trying to. Lapierre is blunt and honest as he reflects on what no one predicted would be a difficult season for him following his standout rookie performance in D.C., followed up with an MVP playoff run for the back-to-back Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washinghton-capitals-hershey-bears-wrap-123]. "I have no idea, honestly (what happened)," Lapierre admitted to The Hockey News. "I think I was just not playing well... I had a great summer, felt good, worked hard. So it was kind of weird to arrive and have a tough camp." The 22-year-old was expected to take on the full-time gig as the team's third-line center and continue thriving there, using his playmaking to help power even more offense for the team going forward. However, that wasn't the case; he struggled to find his game in camp and the preseason, and that trickled over into the start of the year. In the season opener, his line was on the ice for all three goals against and ultimately benched, with head coach Spencer Carbery stating he was the only way to help that line in that moment. More woes would follow Lapierre later on. "First couple of games out of camp were really bad," Lapierre said bluntly. "Not up to my standards. Obviously wasn't happy about myself. "I talked to (head coach Spencer Carbery) and watched video for myself, and there’s so many things I could’ve done a lot better," Lapierre reflected. "... But, you can’t be perfect all the time, and I know I work hard at my craft. I want to get better... no reason for a tough camp honestly. I just didn’t play well. No excuses." Lapierre's struggles led to a series of healthy scratches, and in turn, somewhat shattered confidence as he failed to live up to early expectations. However, the most pressure he really felt was from himself. "I want to be good, I want to help the team win... I want to be better," Lapierre said. "I have expectations of myself, I want to help the team and I think the team expects more from me as well." As Lapierre struggled, so did his third line. There was no identity or rhyme or reason to the unit, and eventually, the Capitals' hand was forced. General manager Chris Patrick went out to find a proven full-time solution, acquiring Lars Eller [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/features/washington-capitals-lars-eller-return-dc-excitement] from the Pittsburgh Penguins to bring some stability to that unit. Seeing Eller come in is tough for a young player like Lapierre, especially when his job is taken away by a veteran, but it was the shift that the Quebec native needed. Carbery would then shift Lapierre to the wing to work with Eller, and from there, things started to look up. "I feel like it's gotten better lately... I don't know if (moving to the wing) changed everything, but I feel better on the ice, a little more confident," he noted, adding, "Lars and (Andrew Mangiapane [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washington-capitals-andrew-mangiapane-johnny-gaudreau]) make it very easy. They talk to me a lot." Lapierre now has points in three of his last five games, and watching him on the ice, there's a visible jump in his step and more of that confidence back in his game. He's moving the puck effectively and making smart decisions, and using his speed and getting touches in when he can. "You make a couple of plays and you're like, 'Okay, I can do this...' when you get those little touches, things start going well, you start having o-zone shifts, stuff like that, you get scoring chances, you set up something," Lapierre shrugged. "I can still be a lot better, but I'm starting to get my confidence back and swagger back and starting to feel good about my game. "I want to deliver. I do everything in my power. It's getting there, I need a little more consistency, but I feel way better than I did at the start of the year confidence-wise." Going forward, Lapierre said getting back to 100 percent will take time, but he knows if he sticks with his game, he'll eventually find that ability that made him a top pick just four years ago. He just needs trust. “I care about this, I work hard, I know it’s gonna come back, and I’m confident in what I can do in this league," Lapierre said. "Nothing's changed. Even if I had a tough start this season, I feel like I can still be a good player in this league and all that stuff. Obviously, I want to get it back, I want to start playing really well on a daily basis again, and I know I will.”
