Seattle Kraken head coach Lane Lambert is facing a familiar foe. The Kraken's head coach will lead his new team against his former team, the New York Islanders, on Sunday. Lambert was fired from the Islanders in 2024.
The head coach probably expected some questions from the press about his tenure with the Islanders, ahead of Sunday's clash. He didn't appear interested in saying much about it.
“Past history,” Lambert said ahead of the game, per NHL.com.
Lambert led the Islanders to the postseason, during his short tenure in New York. This season, the Islanders hold a 12-8-2 record. The team's current coach is Patrick Roy, who replaced Lambert.
Seattle meanwhile is 11-5-5 on the season. The Kraken have posted 27 points, and are on a two-game win streak. This is Lambert's first campaign leading Seattle.
The Kraken are one of the better defensive teams in the Western Conference. Seattle has allowed just 58 goals on the season. That is the best scoring defense of any club in the Western Conference's Pacific Division.
Seattle faces a New York team on Sunday that is one of the best offensive teams in its division. The Islanders have posted 70 goals on the year so far. New York is coming off a disappointing loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
The meeting between Lambert and Roy will likely excite Islanders fans. It certainly brings drama, as Roy was picked to replace Lambert as the Islanders head coach in early 2024. R0y has found himself on the hot seat in New York, as history seems to be possibly repeating itself.
The Kraken and Islanders play at 5:00 ET on Sunday.
