After Saturday’s win against the Blue Jackets, Coach Carbery was asked about Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas finishing their chances more frequently, this is what he had to say:
“They are constantly attacking the net and around the net-mouth. So instead of having to rely on beating an NHL goalie from the slot or off the rush with a shot, which is extremely difficult to do, they’re scoring in and around the net and they’re constantly attacking the net. They’re not settling for a wrist shot from the circle. They’re getting a lot of high-danger chances […] That’s what I feel like those two guys are doing a way better job of, attacking the net and getting around that scoring area.”
It’s certainly paying off for McMichael and Protas so far; the duo has combined for 23 points already, with McMichael leading the team in goals with seven so far.
But this seems to have really become part of the game plan for the whole team, as well. They’re getting their chances off the rush, to be sure, but if the initial shot doesn’t go in, there’s usually been someone (or multiple someones) getting in the crease and making goals happen.
It’s something that was certainly lacking in their game last season, the ability to create traffic – and chances or goals off of that traffic – in front of the net. Here’s their heat map from the 2023-24 season:

Yeah. That’s… yeah.
Now check out what’s been happening so far this year:

Small sample size warnings abound, as always, but based on that heat map, the Caps are certainly rocking the red these days and they’re doing it right in the goalies’ grills.
In fact, they currently have the second-best HDCF% at even strength, the third-best HDGF%, and the highest rate – by far – of HDGF/60 at 2.45.

So what does that look like in real time? Well, it means you have McMichael doing this:
And Protas doing this:
But you also have the captain doing this:
Tom Wilson doing this:
Even Jakub Chychrun getting into the action with this:
Anyone who has been watching the Caps since the Young Guns era likely remembers former Cap Brooks Laich’s now-famous quote, “If you want bread, go to the bakery. If you want goals, go to the net.” The Caps are doing just that – and so far, it’s been paying off.