ARLINGTON, V.A. — With his Washington Capitals trailing the New York Rangers 2-0 in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, captain Alex Ovechkin knows that he and his team have to play better. It's not as easy as it looks, though.
Ovechkin has struggled to open the Stanley Cup Playoffs, with head coach Spencer Carbery adding after Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers that he looks off .
In response to that, the captain didn't necessarily disagree, bluntly sharing how he's been feeling through the start of the postseason.
"Not good," he cracked.
The 38-year-old has been effectively shut down to open the first round, limited to just one shot. He has averaged just under 20 minutes a game and hasn't been able to get much going offensively, and his overall play, which skyrocketed after the All-Star Break and led him to a record-breaking 18th 30-goal season, has taken a hit.
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When it comes to what has to change, Ovechkin said it all comes down to patience.
"It's just settle down a little bit, you know? You have to be more patient with the puck, because we know, I know, we play against a good hockey team," Ovechkin said. "They're going to sacrifice the body, they're going to play hard against our top lines, blocking shots, physical, and we just have to play simple. If we have the puck on our stick, don't throw it right away, try to find the lane."
Though Washington is back home and in a vulnerable spot trailing the series, the star winger siad he's confident that the team will figure it out and has seen his group remain right in the fight.
That said, there's no room for panic.
"We just have to calm down," he added. "We're a young team, but we still have an experienced team, you know? We have to calm down, play simple with the puck, don't think about it too much and it will come."
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Despite not feeling in the best shape in his 15th Stanley Cup Playoffs appearance, Ovechkin is ready to try and turn the tide to get his team a much-needed win as the series shifts to home ice for the Capitals.
"Sometimes, you just have to do what you can out there. Play physical, try to create open space for your teammates. But we're all in the same boat. We all have to play better if we want to get success," Ovechkin said.
"I'm always excited. It's an exciting time for us."
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