The Olympic break comes at admittedly a good time for the Washington Capitals, who not only need a refresh, but have quite a bit to consider.
After a rough go in January, the Capitals made up some ground before the pause, winning four of the last five to move within four points of third in the Metropolitan Division and a Wild Card spot.
Advertisement
That said, they’re not content yet.
“It’ll get to a point where we’ve got 23 games left and we have to figure out how we’re going to do this,” coach Spencer Carbery said. “It’s going to take a pretty big push. I’m not a huge projector of, ‘Okay, what are you going to need to get in,’ but with the way things look in the East and in our decision, I don’t think it’s out of the realm to expect that you’re going to need 100 points.”
Right now, though, the priority for Washington — those players not representing their nations at Milan Cortina — is to use this time away to spend time with family, get away from hockey and refresh.
That in itself is something that the team has needed.
Advertisement
“We’ve got some guys banged up and January and December have been tough, tough schedule for us,” Matt Roy said. “Reset’s good for us, and we come back a little bit more energized and refocused.”
Pierre-Luc Dubois, who came back from surgery in the final game before the break, is using the time to skate and continue getting back to full strength. His return is a welcome one for D.C., who, after the break, should be close to fully healthy for the first time in months, which should provide another much-needed spark.
The Capitals will be off until Feb. 17, when they return for a practice that will kick off what Carbery calls a “mini training camp.”
That in itself should help when it comes to preparing for a difficult final push, and it’s something the team is ready for.
Advertisement
“We’re going to need to come out of the break and be hot as a pistol,” Carbery said. “That’s not only as a team, but individually. Guys are going to have to come out of that break playing at a really, really high level individually.”