WASHINGTON -- Ron Wilson, in his first public comments since he was fired by the Washington Capitals, conceded that his message was probably getting stale after five years as coach.

Wilson was dismissed Friday by general manager George McPhee, who said the players were starting to "tune things out."

"In this day and age, if you have the same core group for a number of years, it's difficult to keep things interesting and not drone on about the same things," Wilson told The Associated Press on Monday. "Changing the messenger is probably not a bad idea."

Wilson said he didn't expect to be fired, especially after McPhee and owner Ted Leonsis said his job was safe a month ago. However, he understands the overall picture: The Capitals haven't won a playoff series since his first year as coach, and they failed to make the playoffs this season despite adding scoring champion Jaromir Jagr and having the sixth-highest payroll in the league.

"Any time your team fails the way we did, it's not surprising in that sense," Wilson said. "I'm as accountable as anybody."

Wilson said he wasn't bitter, and he noted that five years is a relatively long tenure in today's NHL. He led the Capitals to some of their greatest successes: an appearance in the Stanley Cup finals in 1998 and back-to-back Southeast Division titles in 2000 and 2001.

Wilson said he plans to recharge his batteries after nine consecutive years as a head coach before deciding his next move.

"My goal is to learn from my mistakes and be a better coach next time, if possible," Wilson said.

Wilson was fired by phone Friday morning, just as he was preparing a family trip from his summer home in South Carolina to watch his daughter graduate from college. He said he didn't let his professional setback affect the weekend.

"I told her we both graduated," he said. "It took me five years to get through the Capitals. It took her four years to get through South Carolina. We're both looking forward."