Bottom Line: It's Time For Changes

New York Islander Fan Central | 11/26/2016 08:17:00 AM |
I expected Mr Ledecky/Malkin to keep their word, and not interfere with the hockey ops, but obviously they cannot like what they see from their President, Alt Gov, General Manager where a decision has to be made about his job status by them.

They spent big money, demanded progress from last season, and clearly are not getting what they paid for with this teams future in New York to be decided by 1/31/18.  

No owner is going to discuss their employees so those demanding comments in part time at best, local newspapers are kidding themselves, this team has no media, and the one full time writer employed by another NHL team's newspaper is a joke who works far less than his counterparts.

Garth Snow considers the local media a joke, I agree with him completely given their low coverage budgets, skipping playoff games, and snark on twitter which happened even during the 101, 100 point seasons.

The UFA market on 7/1 did not have a right wing answer, nor did the very limited trade market last summer, the best RW was Okposo, and playoff teams were not kicking down his door. 

Here's reality:

Without Seidenberg's (+10) puck-luck earlier goals for a defense third in the NHL in scoring, this team may have only two wins.

In their 16/20 games they entered the third period tied or ahead with 8/20 games lost in regulation late or forced to overtime is too much, it has happened for countless years under this coach. 

Capuano when he got his vote of confidence from Snow/players said it's on him for the team not scoring, and has to find the right combinations while the 20 goal/38 million dollar left wing does not play with Tavares, and is even on the 4th line.

In the last seven games they have not scored more than two goals, what he tried failed. 

Fair or not that goes on the coach, and his staff, the system, mindset has to change with the voice, even if it's Weight, Cronin or Thompson for the remainder of this season.  An outside coach getting more term than the gm could put his successor in a bad spot without his coach.

Chimera cannot score at right wing, it's not his position.

Management's admission that Strome should not be a right wing led to him struggling badly back at center, being moved back to right wing, and now he sat against San Jose.

Prince, Quine, cannot be moved around or sit this much and contribute.

Beauvillier who was playing left wing, said he prefers center, is now is getting shifts at right wing which is how you completely ruin a prospect or injure him.

They do not have a single player who can play right wing and produce as a top six player, and with Ladd not on the first line the same can be said for the left side.

Casey Cizikas got an enormous contract for his career production.

They scored a grand total of two goals against Anaheim, one against Peter Budaj in 58 minutes, one against Martin Dell in 59 minutes, those goaltenders did not steal the game. 

Nielsen's lack of even strength offense is not hurting them because he did not score here in his final fifty games.  Okposo was rarely with Tavares last season until the end, and if Parenteau who Toronto let walk after 20 goals hardly cared, his release here should not make this big a difference.

The goaltending has not been the issue when you cannot score, and have this many games close. Berube decided on an NHL salary vs refusing to sign, and risking an AHL paycheck elsewhere last summer.

Bottom line it's time for a change behind the bench for an interim coach, and if necessary Snow to receive his walking papers or he remains in the interim, while the owners look for full time replacements in the summer.

Can't replace a full staff in season nor would one be available who can help.

The schedule will only keep getting worse.

I like Capuano/Snow but it's time for a change in philosophy/perception.

These owners paid for first class, and cannot make the same mistake Charles Wang did with Mike Milbury after his first season where only Butch Goring paid the price because the remaining fans will tune them out permanently.

Garth Snow/Jack Capuano have gotten their chances, a high payroll, a long-tenure, and have tried everything possible, it's time to go interim, and pick a new direction next summer.

Snow Vote Of Confidence In Capuano

New York Islander Fan Central | 11/16/2016 11:00:00 AM |
NYIFC Comments: The problems at right wing look insurmountable to me, and the young forwards (Strome, Lee) in their natural position are struggling with the special teams. The 4th line right wing (Clutterbuck) is the best right wing on the roster, moving career veterans like Chimera to an off-wing has not worked. The one right wing prospect in Bridgeport was benched already in Ho-Sang. We all know the math to make the playoffs, and the division is improved. As beaten down as Tavares looks (same as Clutterbuck) they do not see the coach as the problem, so the gm backed them. 

What's next is they keep playing, 68 games is a lot of hockey, the owners made clear their expectations for their payroll and it's on them at the end of the season. No one cleans house after 16 games.

New York Notables: Show Time or No Time

New York Islander Fan Central | 11/12/2016 04:20:00 PM |
Jon Ledecky said what his expectation was for his team this season, and that only a bad owner meddles as he promised no interference with the hockey operation.

So far this is working out like his satisfaction on Barclay's efforts to improve the ice and hire a full time manager, if the players are complaining, it's not 1st class or meets expectations.

If their expectations are not met on the ice a decision will be made on the president, general manager, it will not happen after only 14 games, and should not happen for the remainder of this season as they evaluate behind the scenes without involvement.

If the attendance does not meet anyone's expectations an opt-out notice will happen by 1/30/18 with Quebec waiting so fans better decide to stay home means no more team anywhere in NY.

Attendance is up from last season with so many early week games. 

The gm will decide if the coach stays or an interim will be hired or promoted as things progress this season.

What was written in the previous entry on the problem at RW is not going away, and frankly so far has gone from bad to worse, this problem goes beyond coaching.

The special teams go directly on the coaching staff.

Everyone knew the top forward free agent market on 7/1. Okposo, Ladd, Loui Eriksson.

Dumping Parenteau seems a mistake but let's get real, Toronto dumped him without a second thought after finishing 30th as did many of his past teams after leaving here, he was not even a 1st line right wing here last time beyond a few brief stretches.

Strome played most of last season with Tavares, not Okposo who would disappear for long stretches. Nielsen's intangibles vs his 50 games in a row without a single even strength goal are not a big loss beyond shootouts.

The New York Islanders do not have right wings capable of playing on the first two lines in this organization, no coach fixes that, demoted center Barzal, LW/C Beauvillier here to stay, and RW benched in Bridgeport Ho-Sang does not fix this. Quine is a center, he produced as a winger last season, but it's not an easy transition to play full time at this level in a new position, and be a healthy scratch.

And still with Hamonic out, Pulock out in AHL, the awful special teams, three goalies (Halak/'s agent not happy while Alan Walsh's other client Berube with no starts) and only six defenders on active roster they are 5-7-2 with Seidenberg giving them shocking production (with defense) that has kept them close to five hundred with three killer regulation losses in tied games entering final minutes.

Seidenberg, Boychuk are going to level off in the production department, or go ice cold, this roster is packed with players who can go 20 games or more without goals.

Capuano went back to Strome briefly at RW despite management saying he did not belong on wing, then took career LW Chimera and put him with Tavares? Did not work.

Ladd was also moved from his career position to RW, then back to third line on LW, seems no chemistry with Tavares at all.

Beauviller got a game with Tavares at left wing, lineup packed with left wings and centers. 

Bailey got his look at RW, then moved to left wing, then to 4th line RW for now it's Clutterbuck who came here a third liner and was moved to the 4th line off his 15 goals a year ago, it seems the best on-paper alternative.

Capuano seems correctly determined now to keep LW Lee, Center, Nelson & Center Stome in their natural positions. For this team to have any chance they must produce as they have done in the past or the coach will pay with his job because the clock is ticking on this season. So far Lee/Strome have struggled badly, and Nelson after starting good has gone quiet which sometimes last a long time.

Capuano will not survive if that continues, despite legitimate issues on RW. 

Halak is not the reason the team is losing, he's signed for next season so he's going to play until someone takes his contract. Greiss is a pending UFA, Berube is making NHL money with his one-way deal, and will have to prepare like an NHL backup does.

So we sit back and see, no hiding from schedule which will only get worse.
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More twitter then expected, coverage on Coliseum total 180 from Dolan's past two plus years going from prosecuting deal daily from business/editorial writers to hyping every single thing announced like deal is done for them to purchase from Prokhorov/Ratner after 1st phase of renovation done or at some future point.