To hear Coach Barry Trotz tell it, the reason the Washington Capitals have become so adept at rebounding after losses, at moving beyond disappointment and fixing their mistakes, comes from nothing more than the sinking feeling of watching another team celebrate. And in this way, they were not unlike any other NHL team, or professional sports team, for that matter.
“No one likes to lose a game, so everybody’s very competitive and wants to win,” Trotz said. “I think at this level, you find the most competitive people and when they lose, they want the feeling of winning again. So that’s why you have that urgency in everybody’s game.