Capitals hoping Stadium Series experience will be breath of fresh air

WASHINGTON -- A trip to the great outdoors might be just what the Washington Capitals need right now.

The Capitals head into their showdown with the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2023 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN360, TVAS2) on a three-game losing streak after a 6-3 loss to the Florida Panthers on Thursday.
It's the first time the Capitals have lost three consecutive games in regulation this season.
"At the end of the day, it's a big game. It's an outdoor game," Capitals coach Peter Laviolette said. "They're two points that got to come to our way. They've got to come to our column and that's it."
RELATED: [2023 NHL Stadium Series coverage]
The good news is Washington is 3-0-0 in its history in outdoor games. That includes a 3-1 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2011 NHL Winter Classic at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 NHL Winter Classic at Nationals Park in Washington and a 5-2 victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Stadium Series at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland.
This time, they'll face the Hurricanes in front of a sellout crowd of approximately 57,000 in a stadium that is usually home to North Carolina State's football team.
"It just adds to the importance of us playing well and getting two points," Capitals forward T.J. Oshie said. "No better place to do it than in Carolina on the football field."

The Capitals (28-23-6) need some kind of spark after falling into a tie with the Panthers for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference, with the New York Islanders one point behind. A victory outdoors against Carolina (36-10-8), which is first the Metropolitan Division and won 3-2 at Washington on Tuesday, might do the trick.
"I think it just maybe takes our minds off a little bit about the playoff race and just worry about the one game and getting two points," Capitals forward Dylan Strome said. "Obviously, they beat us in our own building this week so we've got to take it to them in their own backyard here. So it's a big game. Obviously, it's an outdoor game but it's a huge game for us in the standings."
The Capitals will play their third straight game without captain Alex Ovechkin, who is on indefinite leave after his father Mikhail died Wednesday. Washington will have to find a way to generate more offense without Ovechkin, who leads it with 32 goals and 54 points in 54 games.
Since Jan 6, the Capitals are 29th in the NHL in scoring 2.25 goals per game while giving up 3.19 goals per game. They are 6-10-0 over that span.
"I think our execution isn't where it needs to be. I mean all over the ice," said forward Nicklas Backstrom, whose power-play goal at 13:04 of the third period cut the Capitals' deficit to 4-2. "For me personally, it always starts with myself. We need to tighten up our game a little bit and just execute better because right now we're just doing too many mistakes."

A practice and family skate outdoors Friday should brighten the Capitals' mood before they play the Hurricanes on Saturday. The Capitals missed having an outdoor practice and family skate the day before the 2018 Stadium Series because of high winds, so they hope to get the full experience this time.
This Stadium Series will have a college football Saturday feel with tailgating beginning at 2 p.m., a marching band a student section at ice level.
"I love that," Oshie said. "If I could go back to my senior year of college right now (University of North Dakota) and not sign pro, I would. So, to get back in the college atmosphere, I've been longing for that for a while. It will be fun."
Winning outdoors would be the most fun, though, and possibly give the Capitals the boost they need for the stretch drive.
"Yeah, we're hoping so," Backstrom said. "We're hoping we can turn things around then."