Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert discussed his time as an assistant coach in Toronto, the matchup against the Leafs, and his new team’s start to the season.
Coming back to Toronto, you know this Leafs team very well. What do you expect out of them?
Lambert: They’re a dynamic hockey team with tremendous individual skill. They don’t need a lot of opportunities to put the puck in the net. They’re dangerous. Watching them play the Rangers, they played fast. They’re just a good hockey team that is solid top to bottom. They’ve got a defense core and good goaltending. Good team.
How did your season with Craig Berube help prepare you for the next opportunity as a head coach?
Lambert: It was great. I enjoyed my time here immensely. The whole organization is outstanding from top to bottom, starting right at the top. It was a tremendous experience for me to be here and be a part of the team.
You can always learn from every person you work with, whether it’s Craig Berube, Mike Van Ryn, or whoever. You can always take away little things that help you as you move forward. That is kind of what happened. I really, really enjoyed my time.
Was it an interesting experience for you coaching in the Toronto market?
Lambert: It wasn’t bad. I didn’t deal a lot with the media or anything. I thought the support… I had certainly heard stories about how you walk down the street, and this or that. It didn’t happen. It really wasn’t too bad for me.
How have you changed since your first head coaching opportunity on Long Island to now?
Lambert: It is just experience. There are certain things where you look back and say, “If I had that over, I would do it differently.” I won’t expand on what those are, but certainly, experience would give you the opportunity to do things better, unless arrogance keeps you from doing that.
We haven’t seen Matt Murray in goal yet. This is his former team as well. What do you know about him from the time you’ve shared together?
Lambert: He’s a really solid professional. He definitely brings experience and leadership. He has been through a lot. He’s won Stanley Cups. It’s really good for our younger group to experience. He is definitely a mentor.
What have the points of emphasis been for you with your new team, as you’ve collected points in four straight games?
Lambert: Just compete and work. We have paid pretty close attention to our details, our structure, and our defensive game. We want to piggyback the offense off of that. That has kind of been the focus since the first day of training camp, and the guys have done a good job of focusing on those things and taking ownership of them.
We are only four games in, so there are always improvements to be made. It is a work in progress.
With Brandon Montour unavailable, what are you looking for from Cale Fleury, who is a very different player?
Lambert: He is a different player, but I have liked his game and what I’ve seen from him in the exhibition. We just want him to play his game. He has to be solid on the defensive side. He can contribute offensively as well. Montour is obviously a different player than him, but with any team, no matter what you have or don’t have, you have to come together as a group and play a solid, team-structured hockey game.
What have you made of the Mariners’ run? They have a chance to win in Toronto tomorrow to advance to their first World Series.
Lambert: It is crazy. Both cities — I was just in one, and now in Seattle. I am a homer. For the Mariners, it was a heck of a game last night. The entire city is super excited.
What I’ve noticed about the city of Seattle: It doesn’t matter what sports team it is. I was able to go to a Seahawks game as well and experience the atmosphere there. Seattle is just a great sports city.
