If you have not been enamored with this oddly quiet stretch of the Capitals’ schedule — neither have they.
“A little weird, for sure,” Washington defenseman Cole Hutson said.
“Kind of feels almost like college again, where you’re just practicing a lot,” said forward Ryan Leonard.
“I haven’t liked it all, to be honest with you,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said.
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The Capitals have played just twice in the last 10 days and have spent the entire time at home. No other portion of the schedule is like this for them — Washington will not have any other stretches this year with three days off before a single game followed by three days off after.
They are grateful for that.
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“We’ve had some really productive video sessions,” Carbery said. “But these guys are in game mode. The practices are the practices.”
They return with a back-to-back: Washington faces the Flyers at home on Wednesday before facing the Predators on the road on Thursday.
A (very) informal survey of the locker room determined that the ideal schedule cadence is playing every other day. Some older players appreciate two days between games for extra recovery. But no one is an especially big fan of three days, as they have now experienced not once, but twice in the last week.
“It’s a little bit harder to get into a rhythm,” said forward Jordan Kyrou. “I would say the most ideal is playing three, maybe four times a week.”
(While offering his thoughts on a dream schedule, Kyrou made a pitch for some more afternoon puck drops, too: “I love 1 o’clock games,” he said. “Wake up, eat some breakfast, then you play.”)
Still, the recent schedule has offered some upsides. The extra practice sessions have meant extra time practicing the power play: Washington shuffled its units last week and is hoping to build on some modest recent momentum there. It has also offered some necessary recovery time for goalie Logan Thompson, who is currently on injured reserve, dealing with a lower body issue. He’s been able to practice each of the last two days. Carbery did not commit to a timeline for his return, but the practice showings have been a “good sign,” he said. And the extra downtime has given the newest member of the roster a chance to get acclimated.
The Capitals claimed defenseman Jack St. Ivany off waivers to fill the spot left open by Vincent Desharnais. Arguably the most promising blueliner for this roster so far, Desharnais had an emergency appendectomy last week, a procedure that will reportedly sideline him for at least a month. He’s not an easy presence to replace. (Literally: At 6’7”, Desharnais is the Capitals’ most imposing player.) He led the roster in plus-minus and proved critical early on in shoring up the defense, and his physicality will be sorely missed.
St. Ivany has appeared in 57 games over the last four seasons with the Penguins and Jets.
“He’s shown that he can play in the league,” Carbery said of the 27-year-old. “It’s now about solidifying himself and getting an opportunity and chipping away at one, two, 10, 20, 30, 40 games and showing that you can provide good, solid NHL minutes.”
St. Ivany said that he is excited for the chance to get out there and show what he can do. And following these long days off, so are most of his new teammates.
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