Caps GM: ‘We’re not gonna blow anything up’

[Teagz]

Last night in Pittsburgh, the Washington Capitals were beaten badly in a game that​

left captain Alex Ovechkin disgusted

and his teammates bemoaning​

their lack of mental fortitude

.​

The loss dropped the Caps’ record to 2-8-1, the worst mark in the NHL.​

So this morning, general manager George McPheemet with reporters to try and explain how it’s all gone so very wrong.​

One issue McPhee repeatedly addressed was discipline. The Caps have been shorthanded 51 times in 11 games, surrendering 15 power-play goals in the process. Their penalty kill (70.6%) is ranked 27th out of 30 teams.​

“We’re playing a good game and then we start taking penalties, and we take them in bunches,” said McPhee. “No system, no coach, no team can survive that.”​

Another problem spot has been between the pipes.​

“Goaltenders have to be better,” said McPhee.​

Though 11 games, Michal Neuvirth, 24, and Braden Holtby, 23, have combined for a .875 save percentage, the fourth lowest in the league.​

Of course, it was McPhee who rolled the dice on a tandem that included one goalie (Neuvirth) that had never established himself as a reliable NHL starter and another (Holtby) that may have played extremely well in last year’s playoffs, but also started the 2011-12 season in the AHL and isn’t far removed from back-stopping the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL.​

“Right now, it’s not going the way they had hoped, (but) it doesn’t mean it won’t,” said McPhee.​

“I’ve seen young goaltenders win Cups in this league. I’ve seen young goaltenders come in and play really well.​

“They have a lot of experience. For young goalies, they’ve played a lot in [the AHL], and they’re getting games here.”​

McPhee offered strong support for new head coach Adam Oates — “I really like the coaches, I love what they’re doing” — and said he’s spoken with ownership in the past few days about ways to improve.​

“If there’s something I can do to make the club better, I will,” he said.​

“We’re not going to do anything short-term. We’re not going to blow anything up.”​

 

[Mr.Baller]

They need changes ... nothing is working for them at the moment

 

[Teagz]

Nothing might be an understatement lol