Now a 'better coach,' Lambert takes helm of Kraken

New Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert tells TSN he will remember his one season in Toronto "fondly." Lambert served as the Maple Leafs associate coach under Craig Berube this past season.

"It was a great experience," the 60-year-old Melfort, Sask. native said after formally being introduced as the third head coach in Kraken history. "The passion that the fans have; it was a very good experience to live downtown."

Lambert previously served as the head coach of the New York Islanders for two seasons and as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals prior to that. 

Did he find the pressure to be greater in Toronto? 

"No," Lambert said. "I don't pay attention to social media, really. I turned the TV off when I got home. I think you can be affected by that if you let it. I was told, 'Oh, you're not going to be able to go to a restaurant without somebody saying anything to you.' I thought the people, if anybody knew me, which apparently they didn't, they were super respectful about it."

 Lambert appreciated the opportunity to work with Toronto's stars. He oversaw the penalty kill and gave Auston Matthews a regular shorthanded role for the first time in his career. 

"There's a lot of things that impressed me about him, but I was most impressed with his team-first attitude and the fact that he plays a 200-foot game," Lambert said. "I think he unfairly doesn't get considered in certain defensive categories or defensive awards in the National Hockey League. I just I think that, as we go forward here, he's going to get more and more recognition. Very responsible."

Matthews finished 14th in Selke Trophy voting this season. He was nominated for the NHL's top defensive forward award for the first time last season. 

Mitch Marner, who was nominated for the Selke Trophy for his play in the 2022-23 season, led the Leafs forward group in shorthanded ice time. Lambert was impressed with the winger's hockey IQ. 

"Just how smart he was," Lambert said of what impressed him about Marner. "He sees the game. And he wants to be in those situations. He wants to be the guy out on the ice to get the job done. We had some tough losses, but it wasn't for lack of will."

The Leafs lost 6-1 in Game 5 and Game 7 of their second-round series against the Florida Panthers. Lambert didn't want to talk about those games, specifically, noting that Berube and general manager Brad Treliving already addressed what happened.  

The Leafs jumped out to a 2-0 series lead against the Panthers, but couldn't knock out the defending champions.

"We were prepared," Lambert said. "You have different moments in a playoff series that you look back on and you say, ‘Oh, gee, you know, maybe if this moment didn't happen, it'd be a different story.’ And I think we have some of those moments. [Goalie Anthony] Stolarz getting hurt [in Game 1], you know, the overtime winning goal by [Brad] Marchand in Game 3 to stop us from going up 3-0. I thought we were well prepared for what they had. And, clearly, we were in a position to win and just didn't get it done."

Berube remained calm despite the ups and downs of the season, which Lambert appreciated. 

"Very direct," Lambert said of the Cup-winning coach. "You know exactly what he wanted from you and, you know, the entire staff. It's one of the most enjoyable years I've had with the staff."

The Leafs finished first in the Atlantic Division for the first time before knocking out the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the playoffs. 

With help from Lambert, Toronto improved from 21st to eighth in goals against per game. Lambert is looking to make a similar impact in Seattle where the Kraken finished 24th in goals against this season. 

"It's just about preparation," Lambert said, "and having the right structure and demanding the detail and keeping players accountable. That's really the biggest side of it. It's so important to make sure that there's an understanding of why we're doing what we're doing. And today's player wants to know that. So, we made sure that they did know that. And I thought the team did a pretty good job."

The Leafs will look to build on that improvement next season. Former Detroit Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde has been hired to replace Lambert on Berube's staff. 

And now Lambert is ready for his second chance to run a bench in the NHL. 

"There's no question I'm a better coach today than I was, you know, two years ago or three years ago," he said.