This Glass is half full

Former Canuck brings positive, winning attitude to the dressing room

By: Ed Tait Posted: 1:00 AM CST Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011

There is no magic formula to gulp down. There is no clear-cut solution in the coach's manual.

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There is no magic formula to gulp down. There is no clear-cut solution in the coach's manual.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 13/12/2011 (5104 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

There is no magic formula to gulp down. There is no clear-cut solution in the coach’s manual.

So, just how does a team prevent one loss from becoming two or three and officially a losing streak?

For that we go to Tanner Glass, who spent the last two years with the Vancouver Canucks — the 2010-11 winners of the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL squad with the best regular-season record.

wayne glowacki / winnipeg free press
Winnipeg Jets left-winger Tanner Glass (right) has his work cut out keeping pace with speedy Evander Kane during scrimmage on Monday. — wayne glowacki / winnipeg free press Winnipeg Jets left-winger Tanner Glass (right) has his work cut out keeping pace with speedy Evander Kane during scrimmage on Monday.

And if you’re looking for some sort of deep introspective take on it all, look elsewhere.

“It was easy for us in Vancouver,” said Glass on Monday. “Win or lose, that day was done. It was always come to the rink the next day with a clean slate. We had some runs where we won eight, nine in a row and every day was a new day and we came to practice to work. We were held to the same standard whether we won 5-0 or got spanked. It was the same all the way through the regular season and the playoffs. The playoffs didn’t feel any different. It was business as usual. I thought it was a credit to the veteran players and leaders in that room because they showed the young guys how to do it right away.

“That’s something we’ve already gotten better at here this year. The pace has got to be good at practice, the coach holds us accountable. It’s something we’re really working on.”

And it’s critical given what happened in Atlanta last year where this young squad faded in the last 50 or so games.

“We watched it happen from Vancouver,” said Glass. “All I can speak to is what we did there: it’s about preparation and execution every day. We had a fun group, it was fun around the rink. It’s easy when you’re winning, but at the same time, win or lose, you come back with the same attitude. It’s tough when you start losing because you have meeting after meeting and it can wear on a guy mentally.