Predators' Peter Laviolette is master motivator

Last April, for the first time in franchise history, the Predators needed a new head coach.

After two consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, Predators general manager David Poile determined that a new voice was necessary to deliver on Nashville's high expectations. The Predators chose not to renew the contract of Barry Trotz, then the longest-tenured coach in the NHL and the only one Nashville had known in 15 seasons.

Poile began compiling candidates, quickly deciding that he wanted another experienced coach. He zeroed in on Peter Laviolette for a few reasons.

First, the two had formed a relationship based on their mutual involvement with USA Hockey, most recently during the 2014 Winter Olympics. Poile was the general manager of the men's hockey team, while Laviolette served as an assistant coach.

"The second thing is his track record, specifically taking over teams and their first year, the turnabout has been fantastic," Poile said.

Laviolette undeniably has a knack for quickly reversing the misfortunes of underachieving teams.

His previous teams in New York, Carolina and Philadelphia all benefited from his perspective. Nashville is the latest, spending the season at or near the top of the NHL standings. The Predators will begin the postseason Wednesday against the Blackhawks.

"He's done it again," Poile said. "This year, for any team that wanted to get back in the playoffs, that looked like a pretty good road to follow."

'Strong personality'

Laviolette's presence is commanding. He speaks authoritatively, bellowing instructions during games and practices with fiery intensity.

Those who know him praise his blunt honesty and ability to inspire.

"As a coach and as a person, there's no gray area," said Predators assistant coach Kevin McCarthy, who has worked with Laviolette since 2003.

That attitude appealed to Mike Milbury, the former Islanders general manager, when he hired Laviolette in 2001. In Laviolette's first season, the Islanders improved by 44 points from the previous year, marking the fourth-largest one-year turnaround in NHL history.

"When I met with him, I liked him right away. … He has the kind of persona that I thought would be a successful coach," said Milbury, now an NBC analyst. "He's got to have a little bit of self-assurance to his style, and I think he has that."

Laviolette revitalized the Hurricanes next. His first full season remains the best in the franchise's 35-year history, a 112-point campaign that culminated with the 2005-06 Stanley Cup.

"If you're going to be a good team, you need to get the best out of what you have in your room," said Predators forward Matt Cullen, who played for Laviolette in Carolina. "I think that's what separates coaches nowadays. It's not so much what system you run; everyone knows what system you run to a 'T'. It's the guys who can get the most out of their players. Guys, whatever role they're in, believe that they're the best in the league at that role and get to that level. And then you have a good team."

Practice makes perfect

With the Predators surprising many with their hot start, Laviolette faced countless questions from those seeking an explanation. His answer was typically the same.

"For me, what's great is a team comes to the rink every day and they really work on the ice," Laviolette said. "It's a hardworking, battling, competitive, spirited practice. Guys know to compete against each other, and they know to practice hard against each other. I think (of) that old saying, 'You play like you practice.' I truly believe in that."

Veteran forward Daniel Briere vividly remembers the Flyers' first Laviolette-run practice in 2009. He surveyed the board where Laviolette listed that day's itinerary and noticed about 14 drills.

"We were like, 'Oh, my God, we're going to be here for the rest of the day,'" said Briere, now playing for the Colorado Avalanche. " 'Pack up your things, guys, we're not going anywhere.' "

The rigorous practice lasted 45 minutes.

"I remember being exhausted coming off the ice, but he taught us how to work hard," Briere said. "It wasn't overly long, but it was all-out, high-intensity when we were out there. We started playing that way after that."

Philadelphia, 11th in the Eastern Conference at the time of Laviolette's hiring, finished seventh and came within two wins of winning the Stanley Cup.

"He brought that energy to our team," Briere said. "He's the best motivator I've ever played for. He always found ways to get us going and motivated to the max for every game."

Play forward, not back

As he contemplated the Predators' new direction, Poile came to the conclusion that "if you're going to make a change, you want to be different." Stylistically, Trotz's Predators often were described as conservative, so Poile wanted a system that was more uptempo and offensively oriented.

Laviolette's teams "get after it," as Milbury described, with relentless offensive pressure.

No shot attempt is a bad one. Nashville set a single-season franchise record this season for shots on goals and took 3,856 total attempts, which also includes shots that are blocked or miss the net.

"Everywhere I've been, I think guys want to work, generally speaking," Laviolette said. "They want to work, they want to play hard. Given the choice, they would rather attack."

Laviolette has rejuvenated the Predators and will attempt to lead them further than ever.

"You know what's amazing is he does it with all types of teams, too," Briere said. "When he was in Carolina, they had three scoring lines. When he was in Philly, we know the reputation that the Flyers have. … He comes to Nashville where they have one of the best goalies in the game, some of the best defensemen and the offense gets going all of a sudden and it's one of the top offensive teams in the league.

"It's not a fluke. Sometimes yes, a team gets on a run and it's a little surprising. In his case, it's not a fluke. It's the way he coaches. It's what he expects of his players, but of himself, too."

Reach Adam Vingan at 615-259-8023 and on Twitter @AdamVingan

PETER LAVIOLETTE'S NHL COACHING RESUME

2000-01: Assistant coach, Boston Bruins

2001-03: Head coach, New York Islanders

2003-08: Head coach, Carolina Hurricanes

2009-13: Head coach, Philadelphia Flyers

2014-present: Head coach, Predators

CAREER ACHIEVEMENTS

•2005-06 Stanley Cup champion

•2006 Jack Adams Award finalist (outstanding coach)

•2009-10 Eastern Conference champion

PREDATORS vs. BLACKHAWKS

Wednesday: at Nashville, 7:30 p.m., Fox TN

Friday: at Nashville, 8:30 p.m., SportSouth

Sunday: at Chicago, 2 p.m., WSMV-4

Tuesday: at Chicago, 8:30 p.m.

x-April 23: at Nashville, TBA

x-April 25: at Chicago, TBA

x-April 27: at Nashville, TBA

x-if necessary