What Makes Carbery So Good At His Job? Protas Provides Inside Look At Capitals Coach's Methods

Head coach Spencer Carbery was brought in to inject new life into the Washington Capitals, a team in transition working to return to form as a top contender. He did just that, and then some, in his first year, earning him praise across the NHL and consideration for the Jack Adams.

But what is it about Carbery that makes him such a good head coach?

Aliaksei Protas provided more insight on the Capitals bench boss in an interview with Bet News, explaining that his contagious energy and winning mentality quickly helped the locker room buy into his methods.

"He has a lot of energy. He's a new coach who really wants to win. He doesn't like to lose" Protas said, per a DeepL translation. "He's instilling a winning mentality in us... it's not a surprise that the youth on our team did very well last season. It's interesting to work with Carbery, he's very motivated and has a lot to prove."

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Protas said that Carbery also pushes his team to play with pace and puts a lot of emphasis on staying high-energy and fast, but ultimately, it's his attention to detail that's helped him and other young players thrive in his new systems.

"He pays a lot of attention to technical details, constantly pointing them out. He told me to keep turning my head when playing behind the goal, when I'm receiving the puck. It seems like you're doing that, but when you watch the video, you realize, 'Shit, I really don't,'" Protas noted. "There are a lot of little nuances like that. Carbery helped me a lot, and I hope he'll continue to. I'm very grateful to him."

Beyond his attention to detail, Protas also pointed out how Carbery will go out of his way to praise players, even for the smaller moments that may not get on the scoresheet. That positive reinforcement also helps the team thrive.

"He often singles out players, even for smaller moments like an important blocked shot or penalty kill. He also notes some significant events, it's great. In hockey, goals are certainly very important. But sometimes, other moments like blocks or taking the puck out of the zone also make a difference. I only started to realize the value of such moments when I went pro. When they're given a lot of credit, it's great."

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The 22-year-old, who was rewarded with a five-year contract after a strong breakout season that saw him lead the team in assists at 5-on-5, added that Carbery has not only been a hug help to him, but younger players as well.

"As a young player, you sometimes don't realize these details and how important and helpful they are," Protas said of things that Carbery picks up on. "Everything comes to you when you apply that knowledge in practice."