from Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal,

Coaches are almost always given too much credit at the professional level for winning, no matter the sport, unless we’re talking Brad Stevens of the Celtics and you just throw up your hands and concede after watching his 100th set play involving a back screen.

The very best ones — Gregg Popovich, Bill Belichick, Joe Maddon — have this uncanny way of how best to inspire great play.

Gallant has owned that touch this season.

“They know the message,” he said. “It happened at times this year when we have a bad game. They don’t have to hear me. They know my thoughts. They weren’t good enough in (Game 1) and they knew that and they responded (Monday) by getting a big win.”

He moved Tomas Tatar into the lineup for a reportedly ill David Perron and all Tatar did was score the game’s first goal to give Vegas an early lead. Gallant also, in changing his lines, replaced Oscar Lindberg with Tomas Nosek and the latter responded with two blocks and offering quality time on the penalty kill.

Gallant is Mr. Midas when it comes to this stuff.

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