Starting vs. Caps, Laviolette set for a run of reunions

Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette couldn’t help but chuckle when he was asked about facing the team he coached just last season, the Capitals, in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

“I’ve coached a lot of teams,” he said. “If this is the story, I’ll have a story every round.”

It’s true, Laviolette and the Rangers theoretically could have to go through four teams that he’s previously coached in some capacity — in Washington, Carolina/Islanders, Boston and Nashville — on their way to fulfilling their goal of winning the Stanley Cup.

Laviolette was behind the Capitals bench just last year, when Washington missed the playoffs for the first time since 2014. There’s been some turnover to the Capitals’ roster this season, including the Evegeny Kuznetsov trade to Carolina before the trade deadline in March, but it’s largely similar personnel.

“I think it goes both ways,” Laviolette said when asked if he thinks he has special insight into Washington. “I think they also have an insight into me and my systems. But that was the case going into the four games we played in the regular season.” In addition to highlighting their defensive capabilities, Laviolette noted the obvious: Alex Ovechkin is an unbelievable goal scorer. The Rangers’ bench boss pointed out that the Russian star forward is also a competitor and a physical player, but said his ability to score goals is “at a level that not many can reach.”

“You got to go through a lot through 82 games,” Laviolette said. “They did it through some hardships, as well. You’ve got to give them a lot of respect for the run that they had to be put in that position. There’s good players, it’s a good organization, good staff, good players in place. I know a lot of that because [of] the familiarity that we both I guess share. Any team gets in and they’re capable.”

➤ Filip Chytil continues to participate in practice without any restrictions.

Despite not taking consistent line rushes, the Czech center rotated in, including a rep on the right wing of Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad.

Laviolette announced he was no longer going to divulge personnel or lineup changes, adding that he wasn’t going to comment on Chytil’s status for Game 1.

➤ Mika Zibanejad celebrated his 31st birthday Thursday.