The Capitals & The Search For Offense In The Grip Of The Hurricane

The Washington Capitals need to find a way to score goals in a do-or-die Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes.

WASHINGTON — The Washington Capitals have a lot that they’re keeping in mind as they fight for their lives in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes, but there’s one objective that looms over the rest.

Find the back of the net.

“Obviously, we have to be better,” captain Alex Ovechkin said.

So far this series, the Capitals have just six goals in four games, and were outscored 9-2 over the last two games while also being shut out completely in Game 3. Carolina has been able to overwhelm Washington with its high shot volume, but at the other end, has benefitted from good defense and strong play between the pipes from Frederik Andersen.

However, the Capitals’ offensive woes don’t just stem from what the Hurricanes are doing, but from what Washington isn’t doing. Over the course of the playoffs at 5-on-5, D.C. has the lowest Corsi-for (40.67) overall, and in the second round alone, rank last in shots for percentage (37.34) second-to-last in scoring-chances for percentage (39.79) and third-to-last in expected goals for percentage (39.79).

"We're giving ourselves some opportunity, we're just not executing, making the play, whatever you want to call it," coach Spencer Carbery said. "And we're making some mistakes and they're capitalizing."

The eye test is telling in addition to the numbers. Passes just aren’t on the tape. The lines aren’t finding the same chemistry they once were. Generated pressure’s hard to come by, and set plays just aren’t fooling the defense.

And that’s when the Capitals are able to get into the zone.

"You don't have to make a play, you just have to get it past the blue line, and it doesn't, and now look out," Carbery noted. "Those are key plays in tight series that we have to learn, and guys have to learn that it just cannot happen when you get to this point in the playoffs with the best eight teams in the National Hockey League. It just can't happen."

Then, there’s the matter of special teams. The Capitals’ 20 percent success rate on the man advantage ranks as the second-worst among teams still in the playoffs, and its lack of success was a key contributor to going down 3-1 in the second round. Carolina’s penalty kill is the best in the league this postseason (92.6 percent), but Washington just can’t get a clean entry or set up.

“You got to find a way to score,” Tom Wilson said. “Simple as that.”

So, with their backs against the walls, how do the Capitals score?

It’ll come down to sustained pressure and maintaining possession of the puck, and then getting the puck on net by any means necessary.

Of course we'd like to get more pucks at Freddie. He's been great all series, and we've got to find a way to break through, so if that’s more shots or if that's better quality — I feel like we're still passing up a few opportunities to shoot,” Dylan Strome noted. “(The Hurricanes) shoot a lot of pucks from their point, and their D are really good at getting pucks through. And that generates a lot of shots and O zone time. We've got to find a way to get blocks. We've got to find a way to win the sprays like Carbs has talked about, and if we do that, I think the shot kind of thing will even itself out."

Ultimately, though, it’s no secret that it’s not going to be highlight-reel plays that help the Capitals claw back in this series; it’s going to be the uglier ones. That’s what they’re hunting for going into Game 5 with new-look forward lines and Ovechkin and company ready to leave everything out on the ice.

"If you look at (the last two games) we have opportunities to get the lead right away, but we just have to find a way to score a goal," Ovechkin said. "Obviously, [Andersen’s] feeling it right now, but we have to find dirty goals, rebound, redirect."

The rest should take care of itself.