Caps’ Laviolette clears COVID protocol for game vs. Panthers originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Peter Laviolette is set to return to the Capitals’ bench Tuesday night for their matchup against the Florida Panthers after missing two games in the NHL’s COVID protocol, the team announced. He will have been in isolation for the minimum five days.
Though assistant coach Kevin McCarthy assumed his coaching duties for games, Laviolette was still in contact with the team through video calls. Washington went 1-1 in a home-and-home series with the Tampa Bay Lightning in his absence, beating the three-time defending Eastern Conference champions 5-1 in D.C. on Friday before dropping a 6-3 decision Sunday.
Laviolette will return in time for the second contest of a three-game road trip, which will wrap up Thursday with a game against the St. Louis Blues. Tuesday’s game will mark the first time the Capitals have played the Panthers since being eliminated by them in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
However, Florida’s bench has a different look this season after hiring Paul Maurice to replace Andrew Burnette, who led the team to the Presidents’ Trophy last season as interim head coach. Maurice is a 25-year NHL head coach who had spent nine years with the Winnipeg Jets before resigning in December 2021.
