Former coach fixes Lazar's season A couple of weeks ago, Ottawa Senators rookie Curtis Lazar answered a call from an old coach figuring he was going to ask him to be a guest instructor at his hockey school this summer. Instead, his mentor delivered a sobering evaluation of Lazar's season to date.

When Curtis Lazar's phone rang a couple of weeks ago in Montreal, he wasn't too surprised to hear Evan Marble's voice on the other end.

After all, the two have a long-standing relationship dating back to when Marble was his bantam hockey coach. The Senators rookie figured his old coach was going to ask him to be a guest instructor at Marble's Okanogan hockey school this summer. Instead, his mentor delivered a sobering evaluation of Lazar's rookie season to date.

"I thought he wanted to maybe just catch up with me, but he tore me pretty good instead," Lazar told TSN.ca on Thursday morning. "He gave it to me pretty good for about 20 minutes. I wasn't expecting that, but I guess it was the kick in the rear that I needed."

When Lazar had that conversation with Marble, he was mired in a stretch that saw him score just one goal in the span of 16 games. While Lazar never looked out of place as a teenager in the NHL, he was not showing any of the offensive flair that netted him 41 goals in 58 games during his final season with Edmonton in the WHL. The Senators even made the rare decision to loan Lazar to Team Canada for the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championships, after he scored only one goal in his first 27 games.

"I think I can comfortably say that for three-quarters of the season, I played a tentative role, " said Lazar. "I played like a checker out there. I have that in my repertoire, but I'm not going to be that player for my entire career. So I really wanted to take it upon myself to try new things."

And that's where the conversation with Marble kicked in.

"He told me that he knew the player I can be and I wasn't really showing it," added Lazar. "And I agreed with him. I owe a lot to him because he's probably one of the best coaches I've ever had growing up. I owe a lot to him becoming the pro that I am."

Shortly after the pep talk with his old coach, Lazar went on the best offensive tear of his young NHL career -- scoring three goals in the span of four games. Even more impressive than the goals was how Lazar was actually scoring them - carrying the puck over the opposition blue line with confidence and unleashing a wicked shot. These goals were a far cry from the first couple that Lazar potted in the NHL, which could best be categorized as awkward and ugly.

"It all goes back to confidence for me and now, I have that," said Lazar. I'm trying new things and it's nice to get rewarded for those efforts."

While heeding the advice of his old coach, the 20-year-old is quick to point out that his current coach -- Dave Cameron -- has also been instrumental in his development this season. He's found a home playing on the wing alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Erik Condra in what has become the Senators' heartbeat line on many nights. The trio has tremendous chemistry and despite their status as the 'third-line,' they have plenty of offensive upside.

"Dave has that confidence in me to put me out in key situations," explained Lazar. "Playing with Pager and Conds, they are responsible players, so it allows me to try new stuff out there. And when I'm trying new stuff and using my size and my speed, I'm getting more respect from the defenders. It's opening up the ice for me and I'm not afraid to try a saucer pass or try to beat a guy instead of chipping it by him. That's the type of player I want to be moving forward and if I can maintain this pace, then I'm excited for what the future has in store."