Strome Talks Offense ARLINGTON, V.A. — The Washington Capitals have put themselves in a good position as they sit atop the Eastern Conference, but amid recent struggles, coach Spencer Carbery isn't satisfied — and he hopes the same goes for his group. This past stretch hasn't been great for the Capitals, who are 5-4-2 in their last 11 and have seen their 5-on-5 scoring plummet and mistakes prove costly. And with the team officially at the halfway mark of the season, Carbery knows something's got to give. "Starting to get a little impatient with the way things have gone of late," Carbery said. "Now it's creeping into where you have some ups and downs in a year and guys go through slumps, your team goes through (things) — this is now turning into more." Carbery also hinted at the recent lack of chemistry between linemates, including Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals/news/washington-capitals-notebook-changes-coming-vancouver-canucks], as well as recent drops in production from key contributors like Connor McMichael. While it's normal for teams to go through ebbs and flows, Carbery doesn't want this to be the Capitals' new identity, especially after a red-hot start to the season. That said, now it's time to show that strong showing in the first half of the year wasn't a fluke. "The challenge for us as a group is our start is long gone now. Now, you are who you are, you are what you show on the ice," Carbery said, adding, "We have to be careful with that of resting on what we accomplished at the beginning of the year. "With the way we look, is that who we truly are? Did we just get off to a good start with a great shooting percentage and win a lot of games and bank a bunch of points? Or are we a team that can carry play and look really good seven out of 10 nights?" Washington will look to get back on track on Wednesday as it hosts the Vancouver Canucks.
