The Washington Capitals have fired coach Todd Reirden after a second consecutive first-round exit in the playoffs.
General manager Brian MacLellan announced the move three days after the Capitals lost to former coach Barry Trotz’s New York Islanders in a five-game series.
Washington opted to promote Reirden from the top assistant job and let Trotz leave rather than give him a raise after winning the Stanley Cup in 2018.
Reirden likely would have left to seek a head coaching position elsewhere. Trotz’s Islanders reached the second round of the postseason for a second consecutive season.
The Capitals failed to advance past the first in back-to-back years for the first time since 2013 and 2014.
