PREGAME: Head Coach Lane Lambert joins Everett Fitzhugh before the game (12/10)

Everett Fitzhugh's conversation with Kraken head coach Lane Lambert ahead of the December 10th matchup between the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings at Climate Pledge Arena.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Where you want to Thanks Mike Lane. Second game in
a row, the crack that have gotten a solid effort,
but unfortunately now for the sixth game in the row,
the results have gone the other way. Just take us
back through that effort against Minnesota two nights ago.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Well, like you said, I thought it was solid. I
didn't think we started the game. Well, there's no excuse
for that, you know, coming off of you know, the
losses that we had and coming out at home. I
thought our goaltender played very well. But then after that
I thought the game was extremely even you know, it
was going to be another one of those games like
Detroit or even like Dallas at home where you know

(00:35):
someone was gonna put away an opportunity. You know, unfortunately
we failed to do so, you know, told the it
at the crossbar. We had a goal post. So, you know,
for the second game in a row at home, to
you know, come out of that game without any points

(00:56):
is really disheartening and stings and.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Sends the frustration from the captain Jordan Eberley after the
game saying that, you know, paraphrasing, he needs more, he
wants more will and passion from the players. You agreeing
with those comments postgame, Now that we've had a thirty
six hours to sit and marinate on that, just your
overall thoughts on what he said and the challenge that's
been laid down to this group.

Speaker 2 (01:19):
Yeah, I mean I agree with them, and I think
that there's certain guys that are, you know, able to
give us more how we let's put it that way.
And you know, we are a team that needs everyone going.
We've said that right from day one. And when we

(01:40):
don't have everyone going and we have a couple of passengers,
it makes us harder or makes it harder for this
hockey team to win hockey games.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
You've played this game for a long time, You've coached
this game for a long time. Undoubtedly you've been in
slumps before. How do you pull yourself out of something
like this?

Speaker 2 (01:57):
Uh? You just you have to stay positive. You have
to have the right mindset and be determined. You know,
nobody feels sorry for you. You can't feel sorry for yourself,
you know, And sometimes it gets better worse before it
gets better. It just it's the way it is. But
if you come in with the right mindset, you continue
to stay determined and you continue to believe in the process.

(02:19):
You know, for me, you'll get out of it. You know,
we have played very well this year. You know, our
first twenty games were really good. And you know, it's
not like we can't do it. We have to get
back to what we're doing and get back to our.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Identity despite the dip in the season, right now the
crack and still within reaching distance of a playoff spot,
a lot of hockey left to go, and two teams
coming up that are ahead of you in the standings
in LA and Utah starting tonight with the Los Angeles Kings,
like Seattle, very defensively structured, they're not going to give
up a whole lot. What type of game can we
expect when you essentially have you know, two strong defensive

(02:59):
teams going up against each other, Well, it's.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Going to be a game that is going to require
determination to get to the other team's net. They're a
big hockey team, they're built for size. You know, the
defenses is very big as well, So the battle is
going to be you know, at the paint. I don't
think you can expect, you know, to make a whole

(03:22):
bunch of tic tac toe plays. You've got to get
greasy and you've got to get pucks to the net.
That's just the way it's going to be. So I
would expect that type of game, and you know, you
have to stay patient in that and you know, not
come out of character or take too many risks because
that's what teams like us and teams like them are
looking for. And then you know you want to transition

(03:45):
and you know, take advantage of those opportunities. So be
a very very very very heavy challenging hockey game tonight.

Speaker 1 (03:54):
It's the dads and mentors trips, So an opportunity for
the players to show their their dads, their mentor or
their uncles, whoever may be, that all of those six
am drive to the rink, we're worth it. At one point,
what does a trip like this mean for the players?
You yourself as a father, you know, all of that
that goes into showing that appreciation for the men who

(04:14):
helped get these guys to where they are now.

Speaker 2 (04:17):
Well that's it, right, Like nobody would be here without
you know, their dads. And you know, some of those
that don't have you know, their dads with them anymore,
they have mentors and you know, so it's an honor.
I think it's honoring them, and you know, it's a

(04:37):
nice way to include them in their sons' lives and
the daily happenings of their lives. You know, we play
in their national hockey league. It's a privilege. It's the
best league in the world and we get treated very
very well. So it's nice for the dads and mentors
to come and be able to experience that. You know,

(04:57):
in the LA King's mothers are on this trip too,
so it's just everyone involved. It's it's really nice to
be able to, I guess quote unquote give back, but
really showed an appreciation for all the sacrifices that they've
made for for our guys to be here.