Coaches understand early success builds foundation that lasts all season

The Coaches Room is a regular feature throughout the 2025-26 season by former NHL coaches and assistants who turn their critical gaze to the game and explain it through the lens of a teacher. In this edition, Dan Lambert, former assistant with the Buffalo Sabres, Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames, talks about the importance of NHL teams getting off to a good start and setting themselves up for an opportunity to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As a coach, I've seen firsthand how different each team's approach is to the start of the season.

Take a team like the Edmonton Oilers, for example. Over the last few years, their starts haven't been ideal but when you're a top-tier team, a rough start isn't necessarily the end of the world.

For teams that are predicted to finish in the bottom half though, those early games are vital.

You have to get points when you can because the League only gets tougher 30 games in.

Getting off to a good start gives you a cushion that can be crucial later, especially when injuries or slumps inevitably pop up.

It's known that the playoff race starts taking shape before Thanksgiving.

It's not a hard rule, but statistically, if you're in a playoff spot by U.S. Thanksgiving, you've got about a 75 to 80 percent chance of staying there. By then, most teams have played around 25 to 30 games and those first 15 can really determine the trajectory of your season.

For young teams especially, getting out of the gate strong can make a world of difference. When things click early, it builds confidence for both the players and management.

Players get a sense of what works, lines begin to jell and even goaltenders who may have been a question mark entering the season can start to find their rhythm. A good start gives the whole group a sense that the system is working and when players start to see success, they start buying into what the coaches are selling. That's how you build trust.

A lot of that chemistry work begins in training camp. As a coach, I've always liked to approach line combinations a bit differently than just focusing on three-player units. You build the lines around pairs -- two players who complement each other -- and then figure out who fits best with them.

That third piece can change depending on the matchup or what you need from a particular line on any given night. Sometimes it's trial and error, but the quicker you get those combinations working, the better off the team is and the more confident the players will be.

When it comes to coaching, a lot of it is understanding player personalities and how they mesh. Some players need to play with "drivers," guys who push the pace and take charge of the play.

Others need players who are more defensively sound, maybe to balance out their game, and that's a big part of building the right lines and finding the right chemistry.

For veteran teams, it's all about leadership. The core group of players -- your veterans, your stars -- need to take the reins. For example, a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, which has been successful during the regular season in recent years, needs their elite players firing early. If they are playing to their potential right out of the gate, it sets the tone for everyone else. The core group are the ones who lead, and the rest of the team will follow their example.

For younger teams, it's a little different. As a coach, your job is to help find the right leaders, both veteran and emerging, to guide those young players. It's about teaching them that the team always comes first, and that individual success means nothing if the team isn't winning.

With younger, talented players, that can be a tough lesson to sell, but it's critical for long-term success. You want them to understand that sacrificing personal glory for team achievement is the key to winning.

Looking at the League this year, I've been impressed with the Pittsburgh Penguins' start.

You have to respect what Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have done over the years. It's no surprise they're still leading the charge, but what's really stood out this year is their goaltending and team play.

The coaches have done a great job of creating a system that suits their personnel, and it's paying off. That kind of solid structure helps when you're facing adversity, whether it's injuries or the grind of a compressed season.

And looking at the Utah Mammoth, I have to say I've seen a big improvement.

They've patched up some holes from the past, particularly on defense, and it's showing. Their goaltending has been solid, the defense has been tighter and their young skill players are stepping up. This is a maturing team that looks like it's learning how to play playoff-caliber hockey, and it's great to see.

As a coach, you understand that early success isn't just about winning games, it's about building the kind of foundation that lasts all season.

Whether you've got a veteran team or a young one, getting off to the right start can set the tone for the rest of the year.

From there, it's all about sticking to the plan, improving as a team and making adjustments as you go.