The 2021-22 season for the Washington Capitals has been filled with milestones for Alex Ovechkin. But on Tuesday, coach Peter Laviolette joined the party by becoming the 10th coach in NHL history to win 700 games.
Laviolette, in his second season in Washington, claimed win No. 700 when the Capitals earned a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators, who Laviolette coached for 5½ seasons.
He is now tied with Mike Babcock for ninth all-time wins and third among active coaches, trailing only the New York Islanders’ Barry Trotz (894) and New Jersey Devils’ Lindy Ruff (772).
“The milestones, they happen. I’ve worked with great players and great coaches along the way, so I’ve been really fortunate,” Laviolette said before winning his 700th game.
This season is Laviolette’s 20th as a bench boss in the NHL. His first head coaching gig was a two-year stint with the Islanders. He then spent five seasons in Carolina, five with the Flyers and six in Nashville. He won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Hurricanes and lost in the finals with both the Flyers and Predators.
The Capitals are 63-30-14 since Laviolette took over last season.
The win over Nashville, in which Ovechkin scored twice and Ilya Samsonov notched 33 saves, came in Laviolette’s first game in Nashville since his time with the Predators ended in January 2020.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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