Those are teams that happen to go through rough stretches, but 90% of the time, they're good. For the Islanders to be in a slump, they'd have to be a good team most of the time.
But we don't have a "most of the time" to compare to yet. This is not last year's team. Despite everything that didn't happen this offseason, the Islanders still have added Streit, Okposo, an older Tavares, an older Hamonic, an older MacDonald, etc.
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Agreed! And as everyone knows, every good team starts the season off with a slump.
Pittsburgh started their stanley cup final seasons at 500 or below through the first 6 games.
And the timing of the slump is irrelevant. It just happens. It could be now, or December or March. We are just going through it now, and we'll probably go through it again at some other point in the season.
It's almost painful to watch the Isles games lately...knowing that the other team can do anything they want (because there is no physical play), and that the majority of the players are doing nothing while there on the ice.
Obviously I don't want them to lose, but I would not mind if they lost 4-3 and had a hard-fought physical game.
The team needs Haley & Nino in the lineup ASAP. At least then there will be 4 guys who hit.
But who do they replace? There really isn't any room for them.
Why can't Comeau & Okposo just be more physical? I don't get it. Neither of them are skilled enough offensively to get away with playing wuss hockey. We know both are strong. We know Comeau knows how to hit. Hell we know that he can level guys when his heart is in it.
The whole team is playing as though they don't want to get hurt
I think you hit the nail on the head. Our 2nd and 3rd lines look flat. No spark. No swag. It's weird, cause it's been the same story every game. It's not like they get in penalty trouble, or the goaltending stinks, or anything like that. Fact is this teams 2nd and 3rd lines play like they're tired. They've simply been getting outworked.
Capo's gotta do something to get those guys jumping again like they were at the end of last season. Hopefully it won't take too long for them to find their legs again.
On a side note, when Konopka was traded in the summer, I had a feeling that letting him go may not have been that great a choice. Reasnor is fantastic, don't get me wrong. But I had a feeling that big Z meant a lot more to this group of guys than what the stats showed. Could his absence have something to do with the teams lack of intensity these last few games?
But we don't have a "most of the time" to compare to yet. This is not last year's team. Despite everything that didn't happen this offseason, the Islanders still have added Streit, Okposo, an older Tavares, an older Hamonic, an older MacDonald, etc.
Pittsburgh started their stanley cup final seasons at 500 or below through the first 6 games.
And the timing of the slump is irrelevant. It just happens. It could be now, or December or March. We are just going through it now, and we'll probably go through it again at some other point in the season.
Comparing the talent of Pitt to the Isles is beyond ridiculous. This is not a slump, this is a bad team.
The team needs Haley & Nino in the lineup ASAP. At least then there will be 4 guys who hit.
But who do they replace? There really isn't any room for them.
Why can't Comeau & Okposo just be more physical? I don't get it. Neither of them are skilled enough offensively to get away with playing wuss hockey. We know both are strong. We know Comeau knows how to hit. Hell we know that he can level guys when his heart is in it.
The whole team is playing as though they don't want to get hurt
This is unadulterated BS and should not be allowed!
Okposo swung his purse at Bradley and hit him pretty good. He was even giggling on the bench, something I like seeing from a power foreward.
Ive been saying it since the begining of the season, Haley needs to be taking a Regular shift. He will bring some of the things we lost with Konopka. The intensity, the hitting,the fighting all needs to come from somone besides Matt Martin.
2 guys hitting and able to fight that can play more than 3 shifts The RW on on the 3rd line is interchangeable, let there be a rotation there. 4th line is able to score and and kill PKs and bring intensity
I know I defended the Isles earlier because the Tampa game was "just a bad game". I keep on noticing though something the Isles have been lacking that they didn't lack in the 2nd half of last season.
They lost their focus on having fun with the game. I mean, yeah, it's always good to have structure but maybe these guys just don't respond to the "all business" mentality very well. Once it was evident the Isles were out of the playoffs last season, Capuano gave the team more freedom and told the team to have some fun. And they responded well and beat very good teams.
Not sure if I'm right or I'm just talking out of my ass, but that's the way I see it. You can just see that the effort isn't there to compete a full 60 consistently.
Koobs11: "Ive been saying it since the begining of the season, Haley needs to be taking a Regular shift. He will bring some of the things we lost with Konopka. The intensity, the hitting,the fighting all needs to come from somone besides Matt Martin"
Ok, so we all know this, but shouldn't the Isles organization???
Why is this not happening?
On another note, while I think Haley will help, he is not the key to a playoff spot. We need the team as a whole to play better.
This is becoming a big problem. I would describe it as apathy.
Nobody is getting in there on the fore check and throwing their weight around. Nobody is going to the front of the net with that desire to fight for loose pucks and make hell for the opposing teams goaltender. Nobody is sacrificing their own body in the defensive zone. Nobody is dropping the gloves to spark some life into the team.
Lastly, nobody is taking initiative to really go out there and lead this team. Sound familiar? It's not the coaches, it's the players. Same old Isles, just a different season.
Sadly, flip the channel to MSG and you see people on their feet at the Garden because the team is battling and giving them a reason to cheer.
This is unadulterated BS and should not be allowed!
Okposo swung his purse at Bradley and hit him pretty good. He was even giggling on the bench, something I like seeing from a power forward.
Bradley's underwear could beat Kyle "the human *****cat" Okposo up. If I see anyone on the board bring his name up with "toughness" ever again I will be forced to vomit all over my computer.
This is becoming a big problem. I would describe it as apathy.
Nobody is getting in there on the fore check and throwing their weight around. Nobody is going to the front of the net with that desire to fight for loose pucks and make hell for the opposing teams goaltender. Nobody is sacrificing their own body in the defensive zone. Nobody is dropping the gloves to spark some life into the team.
Lastly, nobody is taking initiative to really go out there and lead this team. Sound familiar? It's not the coaches, it's the players. Same old Isles, just a different season.
Sadly, flip the channel to MSG and you see people on their feet at the Garden because the team is battling and giving them a reason to cheer.
Tavares tries really hard to produce offense and he's simply so far ahead of the next best player on this team that's it's laughable and shameful. They're lucky he committed six more years.
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Originally Posted by GOLFWANG
this team is always flat most of the time and this team does not have the talent to come out flat for atleast one period in any game
are they being over worked in practice ?
or is jack not giving them motivation?
or is it the system?
or we just suck
it happens every year...we never play complete games
lack of talent, lack of speed, lack of size -- they simply aren't that good.
they can't play with confidence and swagger because they are overmatched out there.
The mistakes are inevitable because they are under pressure and don't know how to overcome. They are fine if they get an early goal and solid goaltending...but this team is simply too fragile and not good enough.
Even Bailey has gotten into an NHL fight. Hell Tambellini got into a fight (before the linesmen broke it up before it even really started). Okposo plays like Cammy Granato
Even Bailey has gotten into an NHL fight. Hell Tambellini got into a fight (before the linesmen broke it up before it even really started). Okposo plays like Cammy Granato
I was originally but now I think the team is just ****. Intensity heart effort it's all just fluff words our players are **** and incapable of anything better than.
