Gallant making most of chance to coach Golden Knights

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Gerard Gallant walked out of PNC Arena following a 5-1 victory for the Vegas Golden Knights against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday as the coach of the team with the most points in the NHL.
It was another mind-boggling moment in an inaugural season filled with them for the Golden Knights, who moved one point ahead of the Eastern Conference-leading Tampa Bay Lightning into first place in the League with a 31-11-4 record and 66 points.

"I knew we were going to be a competitive team," Gallant said. "I can't lie to you and say I thought we'd be in first place at this time of the year."
Gallant, 54, never dreamed any of this, including getting to coach the Pacific Division at the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Jan. 28 (3:30 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVA Sports). He certainly never thought about such things the last time he was here, on Nov. 27, 2016.
That day, he walked out of PNC Arena as a coach without a job. He was fired by the Florida Panthers following a 3-2 loss to the Hurricanes and infamously left in a taxi with assistant coach Mike Kelly, who also was fired, while the Panthers headed to Chicago without them.
Gallant said he "sort of laughed" when that memory crossed his mind when he arrived in Raleigh on Saturday. It was difficult not to think about it because the Golden Knights flew in from Florida after Gallant coached there Friday for the first time since the Panthers fired him. (Vegas lost 4-3 in overtime.)
Otherwise, Gallant said his emotions Sunday were roughly the same as he experienced at BB&T Center on Friday.
"No big deal," Gallant said.
Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault played for the Panthers last season and remembered the shock in their postgame locker room when general manager Tom Rowe informed the players that Gallant and Kelly had been fired.

"Going back to the bus, we saw [Gallant] and Mike shaking hands with the players," Marchessault said. "It was not a good memory."
So, seeing Gallant do so well with the Golden Knights this season, and being part of that, has been particularly gratifying for Marchessault.
"I couldn't think of a better guy to have a successful year after what happened last year," Marchessault said. "He got away from the rink (after being fired). I think he enjoyed his time. But coming back in his first year and being so successful with an expansion team, I don't think any (other) coach could do it."
There are many who deserve credit for the Golden Knights' surprising season, from GM George McPhee and his staff to the players. Ultimately, it was up to Gallant and his assistants to quickly turn this collection of players into a team.
Most had never played or practiced together before, but they somehow went 8-1-0 in their first nine games and haven't looked back.
"Our discussion before the season started was about every guy having their best year, and if every guy had their best year, we're going to go be competitive and be in the mix," Gallant said. "So far, that's what's happening with our group."
Gallant had some experience coaching an expansion team from working as an assistant under coach Dave King with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000-01. The Blue Jackets went 28-39-9-6 that season.
"The biggest thing I took is you get some ups and you can get some real downs with expansion teams, but you just try to be even keel every day," Gallant said. "And that's what we're trying to do."
Vegas forward Reilly Smith, who also played for Gallant in Florida, said one of the keys to Gallant's success is his ability to relate to his players. Gallant played 615 NHL games as a forward with the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning from 1984-85 to 1994-95 and had 480 points (211 goals, 269 assists).

"He's a players' coach," Smith said. "He keeps it pretty honest, and he keeps it pretty light at the rink. I think the players know what to expect from him, and I think he's pretty straightforward and honest about what he expects from the players."
Some might interpret being a players' coach as not being as strong with the X's and O's of the game, but McPhee said, "That is a fallacy," when it comes to Gallant.
"I think the players like playing for Gerard because he knows what he's talking about," McPhee said. "The team plays the game the right way in terms of how we approach it in systems play and everything else. He's not a guy to be trifled with. They respect him because he respects them. He treats them right. Pretty easygoing guy. But he's not afraid of anyone, and he coaches them right. He does a really nice job of making a bunch of individuals a team. A really nice job."
Gallant was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award after guiding the Panthers to first place in the Atlantic Division and team records of 47 wins and 103 points in 2015-16. He also went to the All-Star Game that season as Atlantic coach.
Now, he has the Golden Knights in uncharted territory for an expansion team. With three more wins, they'll surpass the NHL record for most by a team in its inaugural season (33), established by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Panthers in 1993-94.
Gallant doesn't view any of this as vindication of his coaching abilities because he's doesn't think that way.
"Sometimes you get fired for the right reasons, and sometimes you don't agree with it," he said. "But the bottom line is I got another opportunity. We're all in the business. We're big boys. I wasn't happy with what happened, but two weeks later I moved on and looked for another job and this opportunity came up and everything's been 100 percent positive.
"Since the firing, my life's been real good."
NHL.com columnist Nicholas J. Cotsonika contributed to this report.