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Washington Capitals players brought kids to Sunday's practice

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 10:55 AM ET

Are we going to criticize the Washington Capitals players for taking care of their children? Of course not.

But can we question the relevance of seeing a practice, the day before a playoff game, end with the players’ children on the ice? Yes, we can.

Because that’s what happened yesterday in Washington.

There was a big crowd at MedStar Capitals Iceplex on Sunday as the Caps hosted a family skate after practice.

Don’t know that I’ve seen this many kids at a family skate this year-lots and lots of families out there. pic.twitter.com/ifz8L1L2SW

– Katie Adler (@katieEadler) April 20, 2025

As you can see from the images emanating from Washington yesterday, Caps players finished training with their youngsters. So it didn’t practice very hard towards the end.

But hey: even though the club has won absolutely nothing in the playoffs since the 2018 Stanley Cup, we hear in a news report that the club has been successful for years already. #WinningRecipe

I always say that the @Capitals franchise is like a family more than any other team I’ve covered.

At the team’s practice on Easter Sunday before the playoffs, the Caps embodied that, bringing players’ and coaches’ kids out on to the ice.@DCNewsNow #DCNNGameNight @CapitalsPR pic.twitter.com/LhaP1m30ad

– Alex Flum (@AlexFlumTV) April 20, 2025

It doesn’t smell like field hockey right now in Washington, and it’s starting a bit with Alex Ovechkin, who spoke to the media after his team’s “practice” yesterday. And he said something funny.

He said this:

You can’t focus too much the night before a game. – Alex Ovechkin

We’re not saying the Capitals will lose because of this. But what we are saying is that not taking training seriously can sometimes give a team overconfidence, which can then slip away.

Renaud Lavoie broached the subject this morning on BPM Sports, recalling that in 2021, the Jets took the CH lightly in training. It was the same thing with the 1993 Nordiques.

We might add that the Maple Leafs of 2021, while leading the Habs 3-1 in the first round, put on some music at practice. We remember the end result.

So we ask again: are the Capitals ready?

in a row

– Read more.

– Juraj Slafkovsky must stand up in the playoffs. [ BPM Sports]

– Happy reading.

Player agent @walsha takes time to recount the experience of the last Canadiens-Capitals series.

Gives some details regarding his client, Jaroslav Halak, as they upset the Caps in 2010. https://t.co/2yjSQp46Qh

– Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) April 21, 2025

– Interesting.

Here’s Martin St. Louis on paying back Canadiens fans for their patience with a playoff berth:
“We felt the support from the fans from Day 1. I think we were very honest in what we were trying to do. It’s been something that’s been not really done before here. But I felt we were..

– Eric Engels (@EricEngels) April 21, 2025

– Hum…

I think there was immaturity in the Sens’ game tonight and this feels the same from the coach.

Not trying to pile on the Sens here, but this reminds me of the way Keefe talked in some of his pressers in those first couple of years. https://t.co/zUxwP2jNuu

– Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) April 21, 2025

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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