The Washington Capitals are enjoying unexpected success at the start of the National Hockey League (NHL) season. Perceived as an aging team that has reached the end of its rope, the team led by Spencer Carbery nevertheless sits at the top of the Eastern Association.
• Also read – MUST SEE: Alex Ovechkin already back on the ice
Quebecer Hendrix Lapierre attributes these unexpected successes to the work of the organization during the summer season, which acquired his compatriot Pierre-Luc Dubois after the Los Angeles Kings had decided that he was no longer part of the team. plans.
“He deserves the best. He works hard and has a great attitude. I really have nothing negative to say about Pierre-Luc,” Lapierre confided in an interview on the show JiC on TVA Sports.
Even though he has only three goals and 16 points in 24 games since the start of the 2024-2025 season, Dubois receives praise from his coach because of his versatility and his play on both sides of the ice. He quickly became the team’s go-to center for crucial assignments.
He also took care to take Lapierre under his wing during the summer even though he had just arrived in the American capital.
“Pierre-Luc was super nice to me from the start. I didn’t know him that much, but during camp, he invited me to go eat at his place or listen to football, added the forward from Gatineau. He’s been amazing to me and has built a good bond with the guys on the team. He plays big hockey. I’m so happy for him. I wasn’t there in Winnipeg, Columbus and Los Angeles, I know he had stretches that weren’t so good for him, but at the moment, he’s doing everything for us.
Record hunt
The Capitals’ excellent performance at the start of the year was marked by the performance of veteran Alex Ovechkin. Before suffering a broken leg a little less than two weeks ago, he led the NHL in goals with 15 in 18 games.
At this rate, he would easily surpass Wayne Gretzky’s mark for most career goals in the NHL.
“It’s exceptional. Honestly, I could talk about it for 10 minutes, said Lapierre, his voice tinged with wonder. It’s really crazy what he’s doing. If he didn’t score in one game, he scored in the next. Big goals, on the power play… if we needed a goal, who was going to get it? Ovi.”
However, despite an announced convalescence of four to six weeks, it seems that the 39-year-old will defy the predictions since he was already back on skates on Monday.
“He was really unlucky. If I’m not mistaken, this is the first time he’s broken a bone in his 20-year career. And that same evening, he walked without crutches. It’s crazy,” said Lapierre.
A successful “retool”
The absence of Ovechkin was not felt too much since the “Caps” maintained the pace on offense in the final days. The team leads the Bettman circuit in goals scored with 101.
According to Lapierre, the organization preferred to go with a reset rather than a reconstruction during the summer and everything indicates that this approach was the right one.
“The term they use here is “retool”. It’s like a quick little “retool”. They went for big players without giving too much (in return), without emptying themselves too much. I think they want to be competitive as long as the veterans are there as a mark of respect,” he argued.
However, it should be noted that the players answered the call and rolled up their sleeves after an expeditious exit in the first round of the last spring tournament, a clean sweep against the New York Rangers.
“Yes, we have a very good start. We just got some big wins on the road against good teams. I saw that we had one of the most difficult starts to the season in terms of the teams we faced. […] It seems like every game we play like it’s our last. We have such great chemistry and intensity. Every guy brings a little something to every game.”
Fans of the Montreal Canadiens will be in the front row to see it on Saturday evening, when the Capitals will be visiting the metropolis. The meeting will be presented on TVA Sports at 7 p.m.
