Reirden fired as Capitals coach after another loss in Eastern First Round

Todd Reirden was fired as coach of the Washington Capitals on Sunday.

The move came three days after Washington was eliminated by the New York Islanders, and former Capitals coach Barry Trotz, in five games in the Eastern Conference First Round.
The Capitals were 89-46-16 in two seasons under Reirden and finished first in the Metropolitan Division each season, but they were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019 and 2020 after winning the Cup in 2018 under Trotz.
Washington lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games last season and had two wins in eight games in the playoffs this season, including going 1-1-1 in the round-robin portion of the Stanley Cup Qualifiers in Toronto, the Eastern hub city.
"I think there was frustration throughout the organization with how we performed in the bubble," general manager Brian MacLellan said. "We never quite seemed to find our game. So I think that [combined] with how we finished up the last 20 games of the season (8-9-3) resulted in making a decision yesterday and today."
MacLellan said there is no timetable to hire Reirden's replacement. But with an aging core that includes left wing Alex Ovechkin, who turns 35 on Sept. 17, Nicklas Backstrom, who turns 33 on Nov. 23, right wing T.J. Oshie, who turns 34 on Dec. 23, and defenseman John Carlson, who turns 31 on Jan. 10, he said the Capitals need an experienced coach.
Reirden was a first-time NHL coach.
"We have an experienced group," MacLellan said. "We need someone to come in and push some buttons on some players -- some good players. I think one thing that happened for us in the bubble is our structure didn't seem to be there. We couldn't find team structure. I know individuals were working hard individually, but as a team, a team structure, resulted or was a big cause of our performance in Toronto. We're going to need someone that can come in and establish that as a big part of our identity."

Assistant Reid Cashman is leaving to become coach at Dartmouth College. MacLellan said the Capitals will wait until after the new coach is hired before determining the futures of the rest of the staff.
"The head coach is going to want input on who's working for him so we're going to wait on those until we see who we hire as a head coach," MacLellan said.
Reirden was promoted to coach June 29, 2018, after he was an assistant/associate for four seasons under Trotz and helped Washington win the Stanley Cup for the first time in 2018. The 49-year-old replaced Trotz, who resigned June 18, 2018, after being unable to agree to a new contract and was hired by the Islanders three days later.
"I want to thank the Washington Capitals organization for allowing me an opportunity to coach this team, our players for their effort and trust, and the fantastic fanbase for their support not only of me but also for my family," Reirden said. "While I'm disappointed that we could not bring another championship to D.C., I will always cherish my six years with this organization and our memorable run in 2018. I wish this team nothing but success in the future."
MacLellan acknowledged that, in retrospect, promoting an assistant with no previous NHL coaching experience to work with an experienced team might have been a mistake, but he said losing to Trotz did not factor into the decision to fire Reirden.
"I think two years ago we went our separate ways with Barry," MacLellan said. "It's one of the things I've been talking about: the way we play. We couldn't find a consistent compete level throughout that whole tournament. The same things I reiterated, our structure, our team play, wasn't at the level of the other teams in the tournament. I don't think it had anything to do with our opponent, but it's just individually what was going on with our team."
Although the Capitals went 41-20-8 during the 2019-20 regular season, they were 7-9-3 in their final 19 games before the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus. The Capitals scored eight goals in the five games against Islanders, including three at even strength (all by Ovechkin).
Washington scored more than two goals once in its eight postseason games -- a 3-2 victory in Game 4 against New York -- after ranking second in the NHL during the regular season in scoring at 3.42 goals per game (Toronto Maple Leafs, 3.47).
Discipline was an issue all season for the Capitals, who took a League-high 267 minor penalties during the regular season and 23 more against the Islanders, the most in the NHL in the first round of the playoffs.
The Capitals power play, which was in the top seven in the NHL for six straight seasons before finishing 12th last season with a 20.8 percent conversion rate, dropped to 17th in the League at 19.4 percent this season. The power play slumped badly after Dec. 13, going 18-for-116 (15.5 percent) in 36 regular-season games and 5-for-28 (17.9 percent) in eight playoff games.
"Our team game wasn't as good as it had been," MacLellan said. "It was going in the wrong direction. Our compete level was in and out, so we had some inconsistencies and I think it just built from there. We started to find it maybe a little bit, but I think the inconsistent play continued into the bubble and we paid the price at the end."
Although Metropolitan Division rivals such as the Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets are on the rise, and the Pittsburgh Penguins remain a threat with their championship core, MacLellan said he believes the Capitals' championship window remains open.
"We're a team that wants to compete for a championship every year," MacLellan said. "We have some older players in their 30s that … their best years are coming to a close. I think we should be able to compete over the next few years, at least, for a Cup, for a championship run."