Not all is well in the Islanders universe right now. After a fairly solid start to the season, the Islanders are now 0-4-1 in their last 5 games, raising a lot of questions about the where this team is going from here. Not only did they lose 5 in a row, but most of them were winnable games for this roster.
The Islanders began the Western road trip against an Edmonton Oilers team in the middle of a colossal struggle. Coming in with only 7 points and a brand new head coach, the Oilers mounted a significant third period effort that gave them the 4-1 victory against New York. At least Barzy scored!
The recent string of losses only confirms the Islanders’ inability to close out games and finish strong in the final frame. Along with the power play, strong third periods are vital for any success beyond the regular season.
The Islanders management and coaching staff have been under fire for quite some time now, as questionable contracts and game-time blunders have left the fans with no clue what is going on. Are we capable of being contenders, let alone a playoff team anymore?
The answer should be yes, considering the core of players remaining from the ECF rounds and the additions of Horvat, Engvall, Holmstrom, and a more seasoned Sorokin. However, there hasn’t been any real sense of consistency over the last three years. Brutal losing streaks prelude a few months of getting back in the standings only to miss or barely make playoffs.
To be fair, last season was Lane lambert’s first as Head Coach, and a seemingly positive force in Oliver Wahlstrom got injured early on and was followed by losing Pelech and Palmieri for much of the season. Upon the arrival of Horvat, things looked ok until Barzal was lost for a while, as well, leaving little time to build chemistry with the new addition.
Lane Lambert has made questionable decisions like switching up lines too often or at bad times, and even scratching Pierre Engvall last week, who is far from the team’s biggest problem. There is no reason Lane should be hesitant to bench guys that aren’t playing well, but the timing is important to consider. Some mid-game pee-pee-whacks may be more effective than totally scratching a guy who has a chance to contribute in a time of need.
How bad does this year have to go, and for how long, before Lane gets the boot? With Lou making decisions, no one really knows. Does he really deserve to go yet?
Casey Cizikas didn’t think so. Stating in response to fans chanting against Lane, “If they want to be like that, they can stay home”. A lot of fans jumped on Casey for this. According to them, being a professional athlete abdicates someone from all sense of individual expression and those who say anything critical of fans are spoiled and ungrateful…and that’s fair to an extent. The Islanders have indeed sucked lately and tickets aren’t cheap.
But the fact of the matter is no one is going to perform their best when their own fans are chanting against them or jumping down their throats all over social media. They remain human. Why do we think Toronto are perennial losers despite having one the most elite rosters in the league? Or look at what happened to Lindy Ruff last year with Devils fans calling for his head three games into the season, only to publicly apologize after they ran the Metro. Look at Brady Tkachuk, arguably the best Captain in the NHL, sticking up for his coach earlier this season when his job was called for. It’s hard to say if this is a knee-jerk reaction from a proud and passionate player defending his coach, or if it is a greater clue into the locker room vibe where perhaps Lane hasn’t lost the room quite yet. It’s all speculative. At the end of the day, I have no problem with Casey saying that, even as someone questioning the coaching, too. Players have a responsibility to show up and compete every day, and we have a responsibility not to be scumbag fans, also.
The Islanders have a chance to turn things around as Horvat and the fellas make a long-awaited return to Vancouver on Wednesday night. This will not be an easy game, as the Canucks (11-3-1) are incredibly high-scoring with an effective power-play and home-ice advantage.
Bo Horvat has not produced as prolifically here with the Islanders as he had before leaving Vancouver, but his play hasn’t been dismal this season by any means, currently sitting with 11 pts in 13 GP (4G, 7A). At this point, he his honestly still a glimmer of hope for this team.
Can all of this negative energy be processed by the end of the Western road trip? Can Lane get these guys playing their best hockey? The climb back into contention will be a long and arduous one as teams begin to differentiate in their division standings, but the Isles have often seemed to play best when no is watching. Here’s to getting back on track and cheering passionately against all other Metropolitan teams for the rest of the season! Let’s go Islanders
PC (Cover) – https://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/islanders/islanders-oilers-casey-cizikas-kja4ph35
The Morning Skate 