Former Leafs Coach Lane Lambert Breaks Silence on Team's Playoff Collapse
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
Former Maple Leafs assistant and current Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert revealed his thoughts on Toronto's heartbreaking Game 7 collapse against Florida.
Hired last season to be a part of Craig Berube's new regime, Lane Lambert was lured away from the Maple Leafs to be the Seattle Kraken's new bench boss, a well deserved accomplishment for the former NHL head coach.
Lambert was instrumental in giving the Maple Leafs a much more tighter defensive identity, and helped their penalty kill go from below average to at least a respectable league average.
Toronto's collapse unexplainable: Lane Lambert
But in speaking with TSN's Mark Masters, Lambert revealed that sometimes things don't go your way, and often think of the 'what if's':
You have different moments in playoff series that you look back on and you say, 'Oh gee, maybe if this moment didn't happen, it'd be a different story,' and I think we have some of those moments.
(Anthony) Stolarz getting hurt, 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. Clearly, we were in a position to win, and just didn't get it done. - Lane Lambert
(Anthony) Stolarz getting hurt, 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. Clearly, we were in a position to win, and just didn't get it done. - Lane Lambert
He continued on, after Masters pressed about what he felt led to Toronto's abysmal 6-1 drubbing in Game 7, and Lambert seemed to relent that he didn't have an answer; or didn't want to give one rather:
I'm sure you've asked Chief. I'm sure you've asked [Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving], all those guys.
I think they probably would've given you a good answer on that. I don't want to get into that.
I think they probably would've given you a good answer on that. I don't want to get into that.
Toronto's collapse not the fault of Lambert
While he won't give a definitive answer, the fact is that he can't be blamed for Toronto's defensive shortcomings. He can only bark as many instructions and changes as possible, but it's up to the players to put it into action.
The team looked lifeless in Game 7, and their typically staunch and hyper-aware defense seemed to slack off. Lambert can only do so much, and he already improved the team dramatically over former coach Mike Van Ryn.
Toronto just couldn't handle the insane depth and relentless forechecking engine that is the Florida Panthers, and while they took them to seven games, that seems to be the Maple Leafs' Kryptonite.
The stars didn't show up, the goaltending could have been a lot better, and there was a lack of urgency is perhaps the most important game of their careers.
Hard to blame Lambert for that.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 10 | 435 ANSWERS Former Leafs Coach Lane Lambert Breaks Silence on Team's Playoff Collapse Do you think Lane Lambert is to blame for Toronto's collapse against Florida? | ||
| Yes | 71 | 16.3 % |
| No | 364 | 83.7 % |
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