Confirmed with Link: Washington Capitals name Spencer Carbery as new Head Coach

[Corby78]

Big question; can he get Kuzy excited about playing again. If he can, next year all of a sudden is a different story

 

[tycoonheart]

Big question; can he get Kuzy excited about playing again. If he can, next year all of a sudden is a different story

This is where I stand. Get Kuzy motivated and this is a different team IMO.

 

[McVechkin]

I think Ovi being in turret mode is fine. He will always draw coverage to him by virtue of being the best shooter of all time.

What we really need is some motion and secondary threats. When Oshie was younger and healthier, we had that.

Now, no one else is a threat to score anywhere aside from Ovi at the left circle. We need a left handed sniper camped at the right circle. Similar to Tampa with Kucherov and Stamkos playing opposite of each other.

Agreed. Also, I'd assume PP1 point man is Carlson's until im told otherwise. I'd like to see him shooting more. Thinking back to 2018 (which all the sudden seems so far away), that PP was so deadly during that run.. and what I remember most about it is probably Carlson teeing it up so much more than he has the last few years.

 

[usiel]

Happy on the news here he was my first pick. Seeing many rookie NHL coaches comes in for NHL for many years it is always a bit of a crap shoot but have a better feeling about Carbery.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Big question; can he get Kuzy excited about playing again. If he can, next year all of a sudden is a different story

If Kuzy really is poison around the league and nobody will give anything of value for him, this is one of his top problems to solve for sure.

I just fear it’s unsolvable. Let’s see what you got Spencer.

 

[kicksavedave]

Hunter was awful. Reirden at least had a plan, didn't work, but had a plan. Hunter's was "I'm going to hope we get up by a goal and then I'm going to play Beagle for 20+ minutes a night".

Dale Hunter may have coached a boring style, but he was a game 7 away from the Conference finals. Not many coaches before or since him have achieved that, sans a magical run from Barry-T. Boring yes, awful, no. Dale Hunter won more playoff games and series in 1 try than TR and PL did in 5 tries.

If Kuzy really is poison around the league and nobody will give anything of value for him, this is one of his top problems to solve for sure.

I just fear it’s unsolvable. Let’s see what you got Spencer.

If Spencer can get Kuzy Cares back, he's the Coach of the Year! I have no evidence, just a hunch, but I bet we see a bounce back from Kuz (and Mantha do, dare I dream) because playing hockey will fun again.

 

[kicksavedave]

I think Ovi being in turret mode is fine. He will always draw coverage to him by virtue of being the best shooter of all time.

What we really need is some motion and secondary threats. When Oshie was younger and healthier, we had that.

Now, no one else is a threat to score anywhere aside from Ovi at the left circle. We need a left handed sniper camped at the right circle. Similar to Tampa with Kucherov and Stamkos playing opposite of each other.

Ovi needs to get back in shape. He won't have a 2 minute rest break 4 times a game on every PP. He may have to skate out of his office some times

 

[Hivemind]

 

[OV Rocks]

I am excited for potential, I would be really interested in hearing from the real Hershey folks here what his systems and coaching style was like there. I can sense a bit of this eras Boudreau around him.

My first request - I am begging you - in your press conference please don't say we are an older team but we don't need fast players to play fast. I want more creativity.

 

[Marshall]

TEB's on Jeffy Marek show @ 37 mins into the 2nd hour. ("What's next for the Stars?")

 

[Hivemind]

Dale Hunter may have coached a boring style, but he was a game 7 away from the Conference finals. Not many coaches before or since him have achieved that, sans a magical run from Barry-T. Boring yes, awful, no. Dale Hunter won more playoff games and series in 1 try than TR and PL did in 5 tries.

Hunter was mediocre, at best. Comparing his results to much older and lower upside Capitals teams isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. For most other Capitals teams in the Ovechkin era, getting to the second round is framed as a disappointment compared to their potential. I'm not sure why you're spinning it as a victory for Hunter. Game 7 defeats in the second round are hardly a notable occasion for the Caps.

It's an overdone cliche, but an apt one - Hunter was entrusted with a sports car and decided to have it towing stuff thru the mud. He had a 26 year old Alex Ovechkin and led him to a career-worst 65 point season*. Ovie had stumbled a bit the year before, but he was at least still better than a point/game. Hunter was directly responsible for all the "Ovie is done" talk that came about in that era. Nor was it just Ovechkin. He had a 27 year old Semin, 26 year old Mike Green, and 22 year old John Carlson. A 24 year old Nicklas Backstrom returned shortly before the playoffs. There was a solid supporting cast featuring a (then young & promising) Marcus Johansson, Mathieu Perreault, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, Dennis Wideman, and a still healthy Brooks Laich. Veteran leadership like Mike Knuble, Tomas Vokoun, and Roman Hamrlik. It wasn't the best team in Capitals history, but it was a lot better than the .500 hockey and barely sneaking into the playoffs the team played under Hunter. It was a team that should have been among the highest scoring in the league, and he had them turtling in tied games and was playing Jay Beagle as the team's 1C. It's not a team that should have finished behind the Florida Panthers (led by Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann) in the standings.

*Among seasons not cut short by lockout or COVID

And this isn't even touching on the fact there were players he wouldn't speak to for months at a time, his veteran favoritism for guys like Keith Aucoin and John Erskine over younger altneratives (Perreault, Orlov), or the fact he was clearly never invested in the long-term commitment to the team (not buying a house in the area, bailing as soon as the season was over).

 

[Langway]

I recall Kuznetsov genuinely liking to play for Brind'Amour at the All-Star Game in '22. I wonder if a younger guy may be better able to connect and get the most out of him? Given that they may not be able to make a direct one-for-one upgrade they may have no other chance but to see if Carbery can't crack the code. Good luck, if so.

In terms of a legit Cup level standard the center position stands out (glaringly so). Realistically it's hard to buy that even an engaged Kuznetsov gets them to that level again. Their pace and work rate across the board is probably not going to align to that standard. But perhaps just making the playoffs, just competing in the mix, is enough. If it isn't they need to start living in the present and the future instead of the past. And there may be no better time to purge a lot of the declining core than to do it all at once.

 

[kicksavedave]

Hunter was mediocre, at best. Comparing his results to much older and lower upside Capitals teams isn't an apples-to-apples comparison. For most other Capitals teams in the Ovechkin era, getting to the second round is framed as a disappointment compared to their potential. I'm not sure why you're spinning it as a victory for Hunter. Game 7 defeats in the second round are hardly a notable occasion for the Caps.

It's an overdone cliche, but an apt one - Hunter was entrusted with a sports car and decided to have it towing stuff thru the mud. He had a 26 year old Alex Ovechkin and led him to a career-worst 65 point season*. Ovie had stumbled a bit the year before, but he was at least still better than a point/game. Hunter was directly responsible for all the "Ovie is done" talk that came about in that era. Nor was it just Ovechkin. He had a 27 year old Semin, 26 year old Mike Green, and 22 year old John Carlson. A 24 year old Nicklas Backstrom returned shortly before the playoffs. There was a solid supporting cast featuring a (then young & promising) Marcus Johansson, Mathieu Perreault, Jason Chimera, Joel Ward, Dennis Wideman, and a still healthy Brooks Laich. Veteran leadership like Mike Knuble, Tomas Vokoun, and Roman Hamrlik. It wasn't the best team in Capitals history, but it was a lot better than the .500 hockey and barely sneaking into the playoffs the team played under Hunter. It was a team that should have been among the highest scoring in the league, and he had them turtling in tied games and was playing Jay Beagle as the team's 1C. It's not a team that should have finished behind the Florida Panthers (led by Stephen Weiss and Tomas Fleischmann) in the standings.

*Among seasons not cut short by lockout or COVID

And this isn't even touching on the fact there were players he wouldn't speak to for months at a time, his veteran favoritism for guys like Keith Aucoin and John Erskine over younger altneratives (Perreault, Orlov), or the fact he was clearly never invested in the long-term commitment to the team (not buying a house in the area, bailing as soon as the season was over).

Eh, you're right. But it wasn't because he was a "first time coach"... it was because he was Dale f***ing Hunter

Still, Todd Reirden inherited a 99% complete Stanley Cup roster to run it back, and didn't win a series. Todd Reirden sucked.

I do recall Ovi complaining that Dale wanted him to play defense and block shots, and that it seemed like Ovi would rather be scoring a lot. Well in the end, it wasn't until Ovi learned that you needed to do both to win a Cup, that he actually, won a Cup.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Nice.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

Dale Hunter may have coached a boring style, but he was a game 7 away from the Conference finals. Not many coaches before or since him have achieved that, sans a magical run from Barry-T. Boring yes, awful, no. Dale Hunter won more playoff games and series in 1 try than TR and PL did in 5 tries.



If Spencer can get Kuzy Cares back, he's the Coach of the Year! I have no evidence, just a hunch, but I bet we see a bounce back from Kuz (and Mantha do, dare I dream) because playing hockey will fun again.

Kuzy don’t care….best I think we‘ll see is is a minor coach change bump.

Mantha absolutely should in a contract year.

 

[IafrateOvie34]

Glad they wrapped this up before the SCF. Great excitement.

 

[Raikkonen]

OK, good, next!

However, heads will explode when PP scheme is the same...

 

[kicksavedave]

Hynes out, Brunette in for the Preds. Dominoes are starting to fall.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

OK, good, next!

However, heads will explode when PP scheme is the same...

I know right….I thought the same thing…lol!

 

[SherVaughn30]

Scott Allen is still under contract, so I assume he will retain his role coaching the PK, but I wonder if Carbery will coach the forwards? Allen was coaching the forwards last season. Carbery will need an assistant to coach the D-group(I would like to see them hire an experienced assistant in that regard that's not a stubborn Grandpa like McCarthy was). I also wonder who is gonna coach taking faceoffs and working with the centers? I still don't want Scott Murray as goalie coach as I strongly feel Hershey goalie coach Juha Lehtola should be promoted(he's done an impressive job with Hunter Shepard leading the Bears to the Calder Cup Final).

 

[Langway]

Spencer For Hire | Washington Capitals

Caps name Spencer Carbery as 20th head coach in franchise history, and the first to coach at all three levels of organization

www.nhl.com

On Thursday, the Caps will conduct a press conference to formally introduce Carbery as their next head coach, and he'll be asked about how a Carbery-coached Caps team will look and play on the ice. Five summers ago, we asked the same question when Carbery was set to make his debut as an AHL head coach.

"There are two things for me that teams that I've coached try to take pride in," he said. "And it's non-skill related and it's non-execution related. We are going to work on both sides of the puck, and when coaches and teams talk about speed on both sides of the puck, we will skate and we will work. That's a non-negotiable for me when it comes to the pro level.

"And then just paying attention to details and being a smart player. Everybody has to be able to make reads and make decisions to play in the NHL at a real quick pace. We're going to do things and have a certain structure and it's not going to be overly complicated, but we are going to expect our guys to be able to execute that well and be able to make those reads and decisions. So it's that speed and that work with and without the puck, and then we're going to defend and attack with some detail to our game, and everybody is going to be on the same page when it comes to that."

Pretty much hallmarks in their game, or at least their approach, ever since Trotz was hired. That said, you'd hope there's more skill development along the way--as players alluded to--in order to get more impact out of all of those structural details.

 

[Marshall]

Spencer For Hire | Washington Capitals

Caps name Spencer Carbery as 20th head coach in franchise history, and the first to coach at all three levels of organization

www.nhl.com

Pretty much hallmarks in their game, or at least their approach, ever since Trotz was hired. That said, you'd hope there's more skill development along the way--as players alluded to--in order to get more impact out of all of those structural details.

This is a great hire for lazy headline-writing editors.

 

[SherVaughn30]

I know right….I thought the same thing…lol!

I for one highly doubt that. Carbery ran the Leafs PP and they would use all the offensive zone to move the puck around, keep the feet moving and shoot from both sides of the ice. The Caps PP was so bad because it became so predictable. A lot of opponents PK's skate faster these days, so you have to be nimble on your skates and move the puck around to create shooting lanes. I would not be surprised if Carbery has OV still playing the point, but also coming in the back door to throw the PK's off a bit. I would bet he will also have Wilson/Mantha(if somehow he's kept) screen the goalie/in place for tips/rebounds when OV shoots.

 

[ArmadilloThumb]

The Caps PP was so bad because it became so predictable. .

Absolutely. And you see this with many over-orchestrated PP systems. Teams are playing a high tempo aggressive forecheck, they draw a penalty, and then the "clever" PP slows the pace with multiple passes around the defending 4-box until someone makes a mistake, and it turns over/gets mishandled and comes out of the offensive zone.

We need to not be that

And no slingshots, FFS.

 

[CapitalsCupReality]

I for one highly doubt that. Carbery ran the Leafs PP and they would use all the offensive zone to move the puck around, keep the feet moving and shoot from both sides of the ice. The Caps PP was so bad because it became so predictable. A lot of opponents PK's skate faster these days, so you have to be nimble on your skates and move the puck around to create shooting lanes. I would not be surprised if Carbery has OV still playing the point, but also coming in the back door to throw the PK's off a bit. I would bet he will also have Wilson/Mantha(if somehow he's kept) screen the goalie/in place for tips/rebounds when OV shoots.

I’m not saying it’s likely or he can’t implement a new routine that doesn‘t gimp their best goalscorer, just that it would be kinda funny if they‘re stuck with a very similar scheme because of their roster limitations.