Capitals rely on ‘short memory’ as they look to even series against Hurricanes

No Game 2 is truly a “must-win” in a best-of-seven series. Thursday’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes sure feels like one to the Washington Capitals, though.

The Capitals lost Game 1 of the second-round series at home in overtime on Tuesday, dropping the Eastern Conference’s top seed to a 1-0 deficit in the second round.

“It’s super important,” Washington forward Brandon Duhaime said of Thursday’s Game 2. “Every game, the next game is the biggest one for us.”

Another home loss in Game 2 could prove disastrous as the series shifts to Raleigh for Games 3 and 4. NHL teams that drop the first two games come back to win the series just 13.7% of the time. 

Those odds are even steeper if the series-opening losses arrive at home.

“We didn’t do a good job,” center Nic Dowd confessed on Wednesday.

But coach Spencer Carbery and the Capitals have a plan.

It’s the same strategy they used throughout the season to great effect: forget the loss.

Washington was 24-7-1 in games following losses this season, a stellar .766 point percentage that ranked near the top of the league.

The pattern continued in the first round against the Montreal Canadiens. After a blowout loss in Game 3, the Capitals stormed back with a victory in Game 4, ultimately winning the series in five games.

“We’re very short-term focused. I don’t even look at it as a series at this point,” Carbery said. “We just need to play well tomorrow night. That’s all our focus is.”

The message has trickled through the locker room.

“Short memory,” Duhaime said. “It doesn’t matter. You win, lose — you got to come with the same attitude every day and it’s a clean slate every game.”

“That game is over now. We’ve moved on,” Dowd said. “We can learn from it, no question. But you can’t sulk on it.”

Carbery, who is in his second year as coach of the Capitals, benefits from a strong group of mentors in Washington’s locker room. Though the franchise welcomed a series of new players via trades and free agency in the offseason, the leaders remained the same.

Captain Alex Ovechkin, alongside alternates Tom Wilson and John Carlson, shepherds the squad toward the next game after a loss. The trio won the Stanley Cup six years ago — they understand what it takes to win in the postseason.

That championship run featured two occasions where the Capitals lost Game 1 at home and stormed back to win the series.

“A lot of them are leading by example, a lot of them are very vocal in the locker room,” Duhaime said of the leadership group. “It’s the same game, whether it’s playoffs, regular season, preseason. Anytime you can respond after losses, it shows the character in the room.”

The game plan won’t change, according to Carbery. He described Carolina’s frenzied attack as “the most predictable in the league.” The Capitals just have to execute better, he reasoned.

“We know what’s coming. ‘Here’s what we have to do: XYZ,’” the coach said. “XYZ just didn’t come to fruition.”

Players said they’ll look to keep the puck on Carolina’s end after recording just 14 shots on goal in Game 1.

Dowd noted that with enough shots, some are bound to find the back of the net, even if they require a flukey deflection off a stick or skate.

“Anything can happen in these playoffs,” Dowd said. “We have another potential six games, and we’ll start with tomorrow night.”

Game 2 begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday. The series will flip to Carolina for Game 3 on Saturday.