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Seventeen games, seventeen even strength goals, despite the hard work in many games it's not happening offensively, and the captain is using the word pathetic and questioning the work of the players.
Doug Weight is frustrated, however the problem is not going away as long as Nielsen, Hunter, Comeau and many other cannot finish chances. Konopka for his hard work is not going to produce many even strength goals, he was pinned to the ice when Schremp's shot beat Quick for the Islanders only goal Saturday.
Very easy team to defense at five on five. Even when they generate chances you see Grabner and Tavares battling one another for puck, combined with a forecheck they cannot sustain to draw powerplays, which has had Frans Nielsen getting a bigger look with the man advantage.
Nielsen has not demonstrated he can produce at five on five, when he does take the puck and skate he usually is an easy target.
The Islanders looked painfully small, slow and lacked offensive skill vs San Jose and the Kings, players looked unsure where to be and many shots were poor percentage area's which a defense will block.
On defense against San Jose they were dominated but gave them virtually nothing in terms of rebounds.
Sure they wore down in the third against the Kings, five defenders and three games in four nights against a hot team will do that.
Replace Scott Gordon?
A lot of teams in this situation make such a move because you simply cannot change all the players. Bailey went back to center, Comeau to left wing, Grabner has been used with Tavares, so what line combination has not been tried that a new coach will attempt?
Doug Weight is no offensive answer at his age for this team at five on five.
Is bringing up the last place Sound Tigers coach in Jack Capuano on an interim basis going to all of a sudden made Frans Nielsen score at five on five, or make Hunter move faster, or turn Parenteau into a reliable five on five player? Is it going to help Bailey or Tavares finish a few chances?
Don't see a coaching change here as the solution, if one were made it would simply be for the sake of changing the voice in the room.
What's next?
This team has played five games at home, outside of one contest they have not demonstrated an ability to score at five on five in their own building.
Something is going to give soon, either the gm has to shake up his mix in some manner or make a change behind the bench. One thing for sure is Garth Snow brought back Comeau, Weight, he signed Nielsen, Parenteau and did not move Hunter after some poor/injured seasons.
Matt Martin offensively has not been visible beyond his goal against Montreal.
Also his last place team in Bridgeport has had three years of waiting on Joensuu, three years (first in Sweden) or Robin Figren/Marcinko.
Make no mistake, this has gone from three games over to six under. One point out of a possible twenty in the standings. Another two weeks of regulation losses or the eighth seed cut off reaches ten points/ten games under five hundred.
In short if that happens.you are looking at what becomes a fifty plus exhibition game schedule because the realistic part of playoff contention is over.
The general manager went on record that his team must take next step, on record that they should be able to overcome the injuries to Streit, Okposo.
It must also be noted Nashville has less goals than the Islanders, they are over five hundred.
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