The Caps are struggling over the last two weeks, with a big win over the Penguins their only win after four straight losses and five out of six. It’s game day tonight at Cap One though, as they try to get back on track against Carolina, and Coach Spencer Carbery, joining the Junks on Friday a little later than his usual Wednesday spot, knows it only gets harder from here.
“We’re in a tough stretch here, and it’s only going to get more difficult,” Carbs said, “so this is essentially our test right here, if we’re going to be able to contend. Carolina is playing at a real high level, fantastic team that gives you all sorts of issues, so we know what we're gonna need. It's gonna need to be our best moving forward, and tonight is a good test for us, and an opportunity for us to show it.”
The Pittsburgh win was Carbs’ second, but perhaps one of our last, chances to see Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby go head-to-head on the ice, and Spencer agrees with Cakes that at this point, each of those games has to be cherished.
“Yeah, and we almost take it for granted sometimes because when you're in the moment and watching it, you just think it's gonna go on for your lifetime, but then when it's gone, you reflect back about how you miss those games, and how many years they went back and forth leading their teams and the rivalry,” Carbs said. “I couldn't agree more, and it's sometimes hard to take a step back and think about that and really try to cherish the games that they do play, because you can tell it means a little bit more in those games and you can feel it just standing on the bench in my shoes.”
What was tough about the follow-up is that Charlie Lindgren is out with an injury, so Hunter Shepard had to step in between the pipes with Darcy Kuemper, and it’s tough to lose a hot young goalie, especially in a back-to-back games situation.
“It’s a tough spot for a young guy like Shep, and usually in those spots, part of the reason that we've had success in those spots is you're gonna need your goaltending to bail you out a little bit in those back-to-backs, especially when you're playing against a fresh team where they've got tons of legs and tons of energy,” Carbs said. “So, Shep wasn’t at his best, so it made it a little bit more challenging for us. Chucky is getting closer and in the right direction, but I don’t know when he’ll be available.”
Take a listen to Carbery’s entire segment above, where he gets into Ethan Bear and Max Pacioretty joining the Caps, Tom Wilson making the All-Star Game, power play improvements and more!
