Capitals Coach Carbery Discusses McMichael’s Costly Turnover and Ongoing Development

The Washington Capitals suffered a heartbreaking loss on Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks, the top team in the NHL. Despite taking them to overtime, the Capitals lost when Connor McMichael made a critical turnover in front of the net, leading to JT Miller’s winning goal in the final seconds. This mistake cost the Capitals a chance to earn an extra point in the shootout.

Following the game, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery expressed his intention to speak with McMichael, a young center who has otherwise had a successful second full season in the NHL. Carbery described the conversation as brief, noting that McMichael is deeply disappointed in himself and fully aware that such errors cannot happen. Carbery expressed confidence in McMichael’s ability to learn from the mistake, emphasizing that McMichael takes his performance seriously and has a strong sense of accountability.

Despite this setback, McMichael, who is 23 years old and coming off a Calder Cup win with the Hershey Bears, has been given more ice time and responsibility due to Evgeny Kuznetsov’s absence following his entry into the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. McMichael has excelled in various roles, including on the penalty kill, and has played a key role in the success of teammates like Anthony Mantha and Aliaksei Protas this season.

However, McMichael’s production has recently slowed, with only four points in his last 23 games compared to 13 points in his previous 26 games. Carbery attributed this to McMichael’s extended role and the shortened offseason due to Hershey’s playoff run. Carbery emphasized McMichael’s need to push himself to regain his earlier form and elevate his game to the next level as the team enters the final stretch of the season.