Lambert
I think it’s coach-player. Clearly, it’s a proud moment, but John is extremely professional. To me, there’s just a coach-player dynamic.
I think it’s pretty easy. You’re there to do a job and they’re there to do a job. It’s not really that difficult.
He’s a straightforward, straight-line guy. He plays hard. He’s got speed and he can kill penalties. He fits pretty good into that center spot.
I like him in that spot. Similar to Casey, he’s got some speed and he plays the game the same way. From that standpoint, he gives that line an identity, so to speak. Certainly, that’s where I do envision him tomorrow.
There’s certainly recognition of that and admiration for the fact that you go through those different steps and processes. But when you get here, everyone is the same. Everybody’s got a job to do. Yeah, there’s an appreciation, but there’s an appreciation for somebody who’s come right away too. Everyone has done their work in one way, shape, or form. Whether you start in the minors or you come right in right away. Everybody is here.
I feel like there is. Sometimes, you have to do what you have to do in certain situations; we talk about that all the time. Although they were split up, they weren’t split up for the entirety. We mixed them in and around. Getting them back together on a full-time basis, I think, is the right fit.
If you look back on the three games on this trip, I really feel like we could’ve won both in Nashville and Winnipeg and didn’t, for whatever reasons. I thought we had a great effort in Winnipeg and just couldn’t find the back of the net in the third period. We’ve had a couple of unfortunate breaks as well with Ilya’s skateblade and the goal in Nashville. You can’t put yourself in those positions, but certainly, there were some weird ways that things happened. There are some similarities. During the skid in November, we were collecting points. This one is different in that way. We have to get back on the winning track here and collect points.
He’s got to continue to improve on his timing. I think he’s getting better as we go, there’s no doubt about it. I think there’s another level for him to be at that we need him to be at.
MacLean
It’s pretty special. I’m extremely excited and happy to be here. It’s cool for the first time. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night.
I’m not going to change much. I’m going to try to play a responsible game, be a good two-way forward and work hard. I’m not going to try to change too much of my game. Keep it simple, do the same thing that I do down there and try to be as effective as possible up here.
It’s obviously a unique situation. Not many people get this, I guess. It’s definitely special and pretty cool seeing him around here, but it’s business now. We both have a job. He’s coach, and I got a job to do as well.
He’s always been a coach to me. I grew up when he was coaching forever there. He’s taught a lot and pretty much everything. I definitely looked up to him in the hockey world. He’s probably the first guy that taught me everything about it.
Two training camps and two years with the same organization. I’m a little used to it now, but this will be the first time where he’s behind the bench for me.
It’s been alright. We’re struggling to get wins down there, and sometimes it’s tough when you’re looking at the standings and you’re not where you want to be. We have a pretty good group down there with the guys in the locker room. There’s solid moral. Kowalsky has been good with us as well. It’s sometimes tough when you’re not where you want to be in the standings, but it’s been decent overall.
I was teammates with them a couple of years ago. It’s great seeing them having success up here.
I’m not too sure. I’m excited to see what happens. I’ll just enjoy the day and soak it all in. At the end of the day, too, I got to focus on playing well and doing what I do.
