NEW YORK — The past three times the Washington Capitals made the Stanley Cup playoffs, Peter Laviolette was behind the bench. But this time, it’s the opposing bench, as the New York Rangers coach tries to eliminate the Capitals from the postseason.
According to ESPN Stats & Information research, this is only the eighth time in Stanley Cup playoff history that a head coach has faced the team that dismissed him in the previous season. The Rangers have a 1-0 lead in their first-round series against Washington, with Game 2 Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
“On the positive side, it was great to be part of a great organization, great city and a fan base that loves their team and is passionate about their year,” Laviolette said of his time in Washington. “From a disappointment standpoint, it was not being able to make any noise in the playoffs despite having the opportunities.”
There would be a certain irony to the Rangers beating the Capitals in the first round, as that’s when Laviolette’s two postseasons in Washington ended in 2021 and 2022.
The Capitals missed the playoffs last season — only the second time in 16 years that Alex Ovechkin didn’t see the postseason — which led to what GM Brian MacLellan described as a mutual parting of ways between the team and Laviolette after three unremarkable seasons.
Washington’s loss was the Rangers’ gain. When New York fired coach Gerard Gallant after two seasons, it turned to Laviolette with a three-year commitment. The results have been historically good for the Blueshirts, who won the Presidents’ Trophy for having the league’s best record and had the third-best points percentage (.695) in franchise history.
That record earned the Rangers a first-round series against Washington, the second wild-card team in the Eastern Conference. And it earned Laviolette a reunion with some familiar faces one year after the Capitals let him go.
their employer from the prior season in consecutive playoffs. Dallas Stars coach Pete DeBoer went against his former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, in the Western Conference finals last season. DeBoer actually had experienced this previously, meeting the Florida Panthers in the 2012 playoffs during his first year as coach of the New Jersey Devils.
Leave a Reply