Spencer Carbery explains his decision to bench Alexander Ovechkin in the third period
Photo credit: RMNB
NHL playoff series often resemble high-stakes chess matches between opposing head coaches, each looking for a strategic edge, and that dynamic was on full display during the Washington Capitals' 3-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 on Thursday night.
As the home team, the Capitals were able to dictate line matchups thanks to having the last change, which coach Spencer Carbery used to his advantage to help preserve a 2-0 third-period lead.
Ovechkin benched in final moments in Game 2 against Carolina.
That included a strategic decision to keep captain Alex Ovechkin on the bench for the final 5:42 of regulation, opting instead for players with stronger defensive skills to close out the game.
Here's what Carbery had to say when asked about his late game decisions.
«Yeah, he's fine. It's just protecting a lead late, deployment. He's fine.» -Carbery
Ian Oland from RMNB writes that Ovechkin logged only 14:36 of ice time in the Game 2 victory, managing three shots on goal and remaining scoreless for the second straight contest. At 39 years old, he's averaging just 15:59 of ice time per game this postseason, the lowest rate of his 16 playoff appearances, as noted by RMNB's Ian Oland.
"Carbery may be forced to limit his usage of Ovechkin even more when the Capitals travel to Raleigh to play the Hurricanes on the road in Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday." -Oland
Carbery doesn't want to make the mistake that Montreal managed to take advantage of in Round 1.
Earlier in the playoffs, the Capitals were already burned by a home team targeting Alex Ovechkin's line. In Game 3 of the first round, Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis took advantage of the matchup and deployed his potent top line against Ovechkin's group, which paid off in a 6-3 victory.
«Matchups play a role, a significant role in the series, and it's our job to navigate it, whether we get the last change or not, and the things that I can do to manipulate some of the matchups. It'll be an in-game thing, and we'll see where it goes. I'm sure I have an idea of what [Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour] is looking for, having played against them in the regular season and what he looked for in those scenarios, having gotten to know (that) the last couple games.» -Carbery
The Capitals head to Raleigh for Game 3 facing a tough challenge, they haven't won at PNC Arena since December 17, 2023. Carolina has been dominant at home this postseason, going 3-0 in their Round 1 sweep of the Devils and boasting a perfect 3-0 home record against Washington in their 2019 playoff series.
Game 3 is set for Saturday at 6:00pm.
| POLL | ||
MAI 9 | 33 ANSWERS Spencer Carbery explains his decision to bench Alexander Ovechkin in the third period Do you agree with Carbery's decision to shorten Ovechkin's ice-time in the playoffs? | ||
| yes | 30 | 90.9 % |
| no | 3 | 9.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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