While Pascal Vincent was joining the Seattle Kraken as an assistant coach, he was working on a self-assigned homework project. One that provides a checklist a team like the Kraken will need to follow if they’re to rise from pretender to contender.
“I’m studying if there’s a link between the last five Stanley Cup winners,” Vincent said on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro. “Number one is attacking the netfront and defending the netfront, regardless of the style of the team that won the Cup. Number two is key saves at key times. The other thing you need in the playoffs is special teams. Whether it’s the power play or the PK, one unit has to be elite.”
Pascal saw a fourth common theme up close and personal during his year as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2023-24. “Physicality is something not many teams can challenge. I remember playing against the Florida Panthers and we didn’t touch the puck because they were just banging us, finishing their hits, and we paid the price.
“Physicality is part of my research, but it’s more than that. It’s loose puck recovery. So how do you do that? For Florida, it was to be physical and kill plays. But you can get the puck back in different fashions. You can do it with your offensive zone forecheck, just being really quick with your pressure, putting the team that has the puck under pressure so much that they turn pucks over.”
Pressure is the formula the Carolina Hurricanes used to capture the Cup in June. “Carolina is not that physical overall, but they pressure so much.”
Kraken Want To Get To Where Blues Arrived in 2019
Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn was a member of the Cup-winning St. Louis Blues in 2019. (So was just-departed Kraken Jaden Schwartz, who signed with Colorado in free agency.) Amazingly, St. Louis rose from last place in the NHL at midseason to claim the franchise’s first championship.
On Rob Simpson’s must-listen podcast, Simmer’s Morning Skate, then-Blues coach Craig Berube revealed a key five-minute conversation that worked like magic.
“I thought we were missing an ‘identity’ line more than anything – a dependable line you can use in all crucial situations. If I can get ‘Steener’ (Alex Steen) to play with (Oskar) Sundqvist and (Ivan) Barbeshev as that checking line, that identity line, I thought we’d be in really good shape. I was talking with the coaches about it. They laughed and said, ‘Well, Steener might not accept that role.’
“I remember grabbing Steener. It was a five minute conversation. I explained my thinking on it. He looked at me. ‘Great idea. Love it,’ and walked away. When I look back, that line was incredible. They not only did all that stuff – D-zone faceoffs, penalty killing, checking, closing games out. They scored goals in the playoffs for us. Big goals.”
Like Vincent, Berube believes recent champions have followed a similar blueprint. “Look at the last three Stanley Cup winners. What does Florida do? They dump pucks in and pound (the opposing) D and play hard, heavy.
“Carolina did the same thing. Look at Carolina this year (compared to) their previous years. The opening faceoff (in the 1st round) against Ottawa. (Canes captain Jordan) Staal drops his gloves with Brady Tkachuk (since traded to the Panthers). It says, ‘We’re not being pushed around.’ That was a key moment. Their captain, he had that in his head already.”
Kraken Coach’s ‘Chief’ Fan
Today’s NHL very much being a “What have you done for me lately?” business, Berube only lasted in St. Louis until Dec., 2023. The man nicknamed “Chief” spent two seasons coaching the Toronto Maple Leafs, including one alongside current Kraken coach Lane Lambert.
On Simmer’s podcast, Berube praised his former assistant. “Lane’s a very detailed, prepared guy. Knows the game extremely well. I learned a lot from him. Great to work with. I think he brings a lot of emotion to the game, which is great, in the room, on the bench. I wish him all the best in Seattle.”
There’s much more to Simmer’s conversation with Berube, including what led to his firing in Toronto, and memorable moments from his 1,054-game playing career. You can check out the podcast here, and all of Rob’s previous interviews here. Highly recommended!
(Editor’s Note: Thank you Glenn. Very kind.)
Earlier Kraken:
— Kraken Believe It Or Not; 4 Strange Stories
— Kraken Coverage That’s So Complete; It’s Astounding
