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Washington Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery made his debut with the team in the 2023-2024 season. The Capitals had just come off of their worst season in recent history, led by Peter Laviolette, in which they missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years. Carbery, the youngest coach in the league, was dealing with a downtrodden and aging team whose veteran core was not producing offensively like they had in the past. However, the rookie coach–improbably– led the team to a playoff appearance that was secured in their final game of the season. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, though, because the Washington Capitals were swept in their series against the Rangers. Clearly, Spencer Carbery has some room for growth in his coaching ability.
Spencer Carbery brings a young, fresh, never-give-up attitude to the Capitals’ team, and gives compelling post-game speeches in the locker room, win or lose. He constantly encourages and uplifts his players, even in the face of adversity– something that has proven to be advantageous to the Washington Capitals. Spencer Carbery also takes advantage of the young talent in the organization, something his predecessor never did. Carbery was consistently playing the likes of Connor McMichael, Ivan Miroschnichenko, Hendrix Lapierre, and others from the wildly talented Hershey Bears team. “He brought the intensity,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said about the coach. “He turned it up on a nightly basis.”
We love a happy postgame locker room#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/xkORCJIJ4u
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) December 18, 2023
The Capitals had a hard time adjusting to Spencer Carbery’s play style at the beginning of the season. During training camp and the preseason, he implemented a fast-paced style of play that the Capitals were not used to and struggled to keep up with. On top of that, captain Alex Ovechkin only managed to score eight goals in his first 43 games, Nicklas Backstrom and TJ Oshie were out with injuries, and Evgeny Kuznetsov entered the NHLPA. The team’s veteran core was seemingly nonexistent, leaving the game up to young, inexperienced players. Washington lost 17 of its 34 games in 2023 and went on a six-game losing streak in both January and March.
There were struggles, no doubt, especially on the power play. In fact, the team had a month-long stretch without a power play goal and had a power play percentage of just 20.61. Special teams were the difference-maker in Washington’s postseason play, as well. The Capitals converted just two of 17 power play opportunities and allowed two shorthanded goals from the Rangers, as well. The penalty kill also allowed six goals on 16 chances. There is clear room for growth in special teams, and Spencer Carbery should tap into his experiences as the Toronto Maple Leafs’ assistant coach, as he helped lead the teams’ power play while in that role.
Despite the struggles, general manager Brian MacLellan praised Spencer Carbery, stating “I thought he was excellent. He’s a good young coach, he has a good mind for the game, brings energy every day, does a good job with addressing issues that come up during the year with players. Constantly trying to make players better. I think he has a really good skill set. I think that’s his first year, he’s only going to get better from here on out.”
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Longtime Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin receives high praise from GM
There may not be a more underappreciated player over the last 25 years in the NHL than Pittsburgh Penguins superstar center Evgeni Malkin. The 39-year-old has been in the shadow of fellow superstar center Sidney Crosby throughout his career in the Steel City. Crosby, deservedly so, has been the center of attention and focus of the hockey world on his journey to becoming one of the all-time greats. On the flip side, Malkin has undeservedly been overlooked because of his teammates' brilliance. Not being a part of the NHL’s top 100 players list back in 2017 stands out above them all. Despite that, one who won't stand for it is his current general manager, Kyle Dubas, who had quite the take he shared on "The Cam Strick Podcast" earlier this week. "Yeah, he’s probably the most underrated player, maybe to ever play," Dubas said. "Just because of the fact that he has always been a little bit in the shadow of Sid. But, at his best, one of, if not the best, players in the league. And he’s won everything you can win. Way more competitive, even at his age, than I think most people would ever give him credit for. He gets talked about the least, and he probably prefers it that way, but it’s been special to be around." Some may find Dubas' comments to be a stretch, but they aren't in the slightest. Like Crosby, Malkin is one of the greatest hockey players of all time, and the stats and accolades back it up in a big way. Malkin's 514 goals and 832 assists give him 1,346 career points through just 1,213 games played, ranking 31st among all players in league history. On an even more impressive note, he's racked up 15 seasons of producing at a point per game, demonstrating his consistent dominance every year. Only Crosby (20 seasons), longtime Oilers and Kings superstar center Wayne Gretzky (18 seasons) and Red Wings superstar right winger Gordie Howe (17 seasons) have done it more than Malkin. Along with all of the numbers and individual awards, the Russian superstar has elevated his play on the biggest stage when the pressure was at its highest. Malkin was a centerpiece in the Penguins' three Stanley Cup championships (2008-09, 2015-16, 2016-17) over nine years, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in the first victory. His postseason production isn't too shabby, either, with 67 goals and 113 assists for 180 points in 177 games for the 15th-best playoff numbers of all time. While Dubas said Malkin may prefer not being talked about, he deserves to be recognized for his excellence. As he heads into Year 20 and potentially his last in the NHL, fans should cherish every time Malkin steps onto the ice to provide a few more signature moments.
NFL under fire for decision on Chiefs WR Rashee Rice
The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to receive an early gift from the NFL regarding wide receiver Rashee Rice's looming suspension. The third-year receiver is set to have a disciplinary hearing on Sept. 30 after he pleaded guilty to collision involving serious bodily injury and racing on a highway causing bodily injury. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years of probation. The timing of Rice's hearing is curious because he pleaded guilty to his charges on the same day Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge connected to his arrest for alleged DUI. The league has already suspended Addison for the first three games of the upcoming season. Per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, a league source told him that the NFL doesn't typically delay hearings as it has in the case of Rice, preferring to finalize a punishment before Week 1. “Maybe I’m a conspiracy theorist, but this is odd," said the unnamed source, via Florio. “You hardly ever see players get suspended in season unless they did something in season like a drug test or something.” The suspicion from the source and Florio is that the league is keeping Rice available for marquee matchups in the early season. The Chiefs begin their season in Sao Paulo, Brazil, playing the Los Angeles Chargers. Kansas City then plays the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants ("Sunday Night Football") and Baltimore Ravens. Florio suggested that with a hearing date of Sept. 30, Rice would likely start any suspension the Chiefs' Week 5 contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars on "Monday Night Football." "At a time when many think the league favors the Chiefs, situations like this will not become evidence to the contrary," Florio said. While the early slate of games is impressive for the Chiefs, their schedule is jam-packed with heavyweight matchups. The next four games after Week 5 include the Detroit Lions ("Sunday Night Football"), Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders ("Monday Night Football" and Buffalo Bills. While the league has some explaining to do as to why it chose Sept. 30 as the date, it's hard to see why the Chiefs would have an advantage by losing Rice for those games.
Tennessee's groundbreaking Adidas deal a game-changer for college sports in NIL era
Commanders sign multiple veteran players
Daryl Worley has reached an agreement to join a 10th NFL team. The veteran defensive back, whom the Titans turned to as a fill-in starter last season, is joining the Commanders, per The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala. Washington, which also added wide receivers River Cracraft and Mike Strachan (via Jhabvala), is bringing in Worley after a recent workout (h/t KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). Worley, who spent three seasons with the Ravens, will return to the mid-Atlantic region as a Commanders DB option. None of Worley’s previous stops involved Dan Quinn or GM Adam Peters, though Worley did stop through Dallas in 2020. Worley, 30, has seen action for the Panthers, Raiders, Cowboys, Bills, Lions, Ravens and Titans. This nomadic career also included brief Eagles and Cardinals stopovers. This is not quite Josh Johnson pace, but the double-digit team club is certainly a milestone in journeyman lore. Perhaps some discussions can commence on this topic, as the quarterback joined the Commanders this offseason. While Worley (54 starts from 2017-20) found himself a regular Ravens practice squad callup — en route to being a PFR “Minor NFL Transactions” staple in those years — he logged seven starts for the Titans last season. A former cornerback in his regular starter days, Worley has transitioned to safety. He spent most of his Tennessee stint as a free safety or in the box for the struggling team, making 52 tackles, notching a forced fumble intercepting a pass. With Washington, the ex-third-round pick joins Will Harris, Quan Martin, Percy Butler and special teams ace Jeremy Reaves at safety. Cracraft, 30, served as a minor Dolphins receiving contributor over the past three seasons. Following Mike McDaniel from San Francisco to Miami, Cracraft caught 25 passes for 289 yards and three TDs in Miami from 2022-24. The former UDFA, whose 49ers stint came during Peters’ time in San Francisco, has now seen game action in each of the past seven seasons. He will vie for a backup job with Washington.
Jimmy Garoppolo's pass to Davante Adams draws attention for wrong reasons
Jimmy Garoppolo and Davante Adams have been reunited on the Los Angeles Rams, and the star receiver may have nightmares over one throw that came his way on Thursday. The Rams and New Orleans Saints held a joint training camp practice on Thursday. At one point during an 11-on-11 scrimmage, Garoppolo floated a pass toward Adams into traffic over the middle of the field. Adams did not make the catch, and for good reason. He was between three defenders and was fortunate that hitting was not allowed. Otherwise, he probably would have gotten throttled. It is possible that Garoppolo threw the pass knowing Adams was not going to be hit by a defender. The veteran quarterback would probably think twice about making a throw like that during an actual game — or so Adams hopes. Adams was one of the players featured on the Netflix documentary series "Receivers" last year. During one of the episodes, Adams was shown ranting about Garoppolo when the two were teammates on the Raiders. Adams was heard saying he needed to get out of Las Vegas "before I lose my (expletive) life." The six-time Pro Bowl receiver also said he had "never been hit this many (expletive) times in my career." Garoppolo is now the backup with the Rams and has been taking first-team reps while Matthew Stafford nurses a back injury. Adams said in an interview last month that he loves Garoppolo and chalked any previous issues up to everyone being "pretty miserable" when the Raiders were losing. The Rams are hoping Stafford will be fully healthy by Week 1. If he is not, Garoppolo may have to play. The quarterback had better get those so-called "hospital balls" out of his system in training camp.
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