ARLINGTON, Va. -- Peter Laviolette and the Washington Capitals' mutual decision to part ways after last season has turned out to be mutually beneficial.
It's worked out well for the New York Rangers too.
The Rangers (18-5-1) lead the Metropolitan Division with 37 points and lead the NHL in points percentage (.771) in their first 24 games with Laviolette as their coach heading into his return to Capital One Arena to take on the Capitals on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, MSG).
The Capitals (12-8-3) have had some ups and downs in their first 24 games under first-time NHL coach Spencer Carbery, but have had a solid start with 27 points, leaving them tied for fifth in the Metropolitan but three points behind the second-place Philadelphia Flyers with three games in hand.
"The Rangers, you look at their record right now and they're either the best team in the League or definitely up there record wise," Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren said. "And then I think 'Carbs' has been a really good add to our team too because he just brings that energy. He brings just a positive spirit. Carbs has been amazing for us, and I can speak for everyone, everyone enjoys being around him. Just the way he coaches the game, he's been really good for us.
"And 'Lavi' has been awesome for the Rangers too."
Washington was 115-78-27 in its three seasons under Laviolette but did not have the success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs it was seeking when it hired him in 2020 to squeeze more out of an aging team that won the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Capitals lost in the first round of the playoffs in his first two seasons before being plagued by injuries and inconsistency in going 35-37-10 last season and failing to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2013-14.
With his three-year contract expiring, Laviolette met with general manager Brian MacLellan the day after the Capitals' regular-season finale April 13. MacLellan said at the time that he had intended to take some time before deciding whether to sign Laviolette to a new contract, but Laviolette thought it might be best to move on and they agreed to part amicably.
"My time in Washington was really good," Laviolette said. "I worked with some really good players and a really good city for a really good organization. I've been fortunate in my career to work in some great places under those circumstances and, at the time, when talking about it, my contract was up and we made a decision just to step back for a second and so we did."
Carbery, who was an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs the past two seasons after coaching Washington's American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey the previous three, was hired to replace Laviolette on May 30. The Rangers, who fired coach Gerard Gallant on May 6 after losing to the New Jersey Devils in the first round of the playoffs, hired Laviolette on June 30.
"It's New York City," Laviolette said. "It's Madison Square Garden. It's an Original Six team. There's a whole bunch of reasons why people would want to be part of the New York Rangers. The fan base is unbelievably passionate. I have had so many people come up to me on a daily basis and tell me they're the biggest New York Rangers fan there is. There's a lot of the biggest ones out there; they love their team, they love the sport. It's just a great energy and a great place to be."
The Rangers wanted an experienced coach with a winning track record and got that in Laviolette, who is eighth in NHL history with 770 wins (770-508-151 with 25 ties) in 22 seasons with the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Nashville Predators, Capitals and Rangers. The 59-year-old won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006 before losing in the Cup Final with the Flyers in 2010 (Chicago Blackhawks) and the Predators in 2017 (Pittsburgh Penguins).
Known for being demanding but straightforward and a skilled motivator, Laviolette has made an immediate impact with the Rangers in the dressing room and on the ice.
"I think the cohesiveness and the importance of team has been something from the get-go that he's put an emphasis on," New York defenseman Jacob Trouba said. "I think that's been really good for us. I think just the expectation of the skating, not so much conditioning but the work ethic and what we bring to practice, what to expect in practice, and how it carries over into games. I think he's very clear on what he expects from us, and as a player that's what you want to know."
While the Rangers are in win-now mode, the Capitals are trying to remain competitive while integrating younger players into a lineup that still includes several holdovers from the 2018 championship team: forwards Alex Ovechkin, 38; T.J. Oshie, 36; Evgeny Kuznetsov, 31; and Tom Wilson, 29; and defenseman John Carlson, 33.
Carbery, the youngest coach in the NHL at 42, was familiar with players he coached in Hershey such as 22-year-old forwards Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas, and has balanced that well with his ability to relate to the veterans.
He hasn't been able to unlock the Capitals' offensive potential yet -- they rank 31st in the NHL at 2.35 goals per game and 32nd on the power play at 9.0 percent -- but they had been finding ways to win games before losing their past three (0-2-1).
"It worked out great for us, kind of a reset, a new system that's a little more friendly for our squad," said Oshie, who has missed six games because of an upper-body injury but could play Saturday. "Obviously we'd like some more goal scoring, but system-wise we adapted to that pretty good, I think. And they're obviously having a good start over there."
Laviolette, undoubtedly, would like New York's good start to continue with a victory in his return to Washington, but noted that return games are not the same for coaches as they are for players.
"The players are on the ice and they're the ones who put in the work and they're the ones that are on display, their skills and their game," Laviolette said. "So I think it's a little bit different. But when you go back, you get to see a bunch of people that you've met along the way and that's always good too."
NHL.com staff writer Mike G. Morreale contributed to this report.
