The Islanders Are Broken, But Not Dead
Maybe it was the eternal optimist in me [or the fact that Leddy, Strome, Lee, and Nelson combined for 148 points last year all while under 25] but heading into the Barclays’ inaugural season my expectations for this team’s on-ice product were through the roof, and now 42 games into the year it is clear things are not going as planned.
Granted, the first half has brought it’s fair share of silver linings… Greiss is a competent backup and can hold down a 60/40 role with Jaro taking the majority of starts, Fransie is continuing to improve despite being on the wrong side of 30, and John Tavares .. has his.. health? Yea, John Tavares still has his health. Word.
One could argue it’s dumb to be complaining about a team just 2 points out of 2nd place, but the Isles currently sitting in contention of a playoff spot can deservedly be chalked up to the Metro as a whole[save for the Caps and Devils(I guess?)] being one giant dumpster fire of underachievement.
That being said, the Islanders are by no means dead. They’re broken, they can be fixed, but they’re not dead. 40 games is a lot of hockey and breaths are still being drawn, though they’re coming once every week and a half.
I touched upon the idea of the team parting ways with Head Coach Jack Capuano earlier in the week, and though I agree he may not be the man who can take this team to the next level, the team firing good ol’ Cappy now, mid-season, would be Mike Milbury levels of dumb.
Without any real upgrade of a coach on the market getting rid of a man like Cap, one whom that room would has lived and died with, would do a lot more harm and than good. And dumping Capuano just to promote Doug Weight would be a nuclear explosion of idiocy, with Atlantic Ave at the epicenter.
With Hamonic and Boychuk set to miss extended time, and the Isles defense looking like the Mets pre-All Star game, maybe that big trade we’ve all been not-so-silently praying for is closer than we think. Capuano met with GM Garth Snow yesterday to discuss personnel going forward, and whether changes or call-ups are in order.
Whether Garth will pull the trigger is a question only the Grand Wizard himself can answer, so for now, we sit back and wait for a change of any kind.
PS – No GIFs from me tonight. Gunna be in the building against Columbus.. someone has to save this team.