Breaks can be useful for hockey teams.
An 82-game NHL season with travel and back-to-backs is grueling.
However, the amount of time the Washington Capitals have been off the past month is almost counterproductive. Their current four-day layoff is on the heels of the team’s worst defeat of the season, and the last thing the players want is time to let the loss fester.
Suddenly, the Capitals — winless in 2022 and losers of four straight— are in a rut.
“Everybody hates losing. The players hate losing, so nobody is in a great mood,” coach Peter Laviolette said after practice Tuesday.