I've been thinking about the job Cappy's done. A couple things Butch and Howie said last night during the Habs game really reinforced a couple things.
1) Their comment about giving up goals on the first shot of the game. They said it was like the 10th time it's happened. Butchie, despite his commentary skills, has clearly seen a lot of hockey. His comment that he's never seen anything like that before has to make you wonder what kind of preparation they have.
2) Howie or Butch mentioned at one point that Cappy was tinkering a bit with the lines in-game and that was unusual for him as he typically only did that between games. It struck me, because it seems he only does it between months it happens so infrequently.
Then there's all the other stuff. The time out thing with Detroit late. Taking months to scratch Rolston, Mottau, etc. to at least given them wake up calls. His refusal to tinker with lines much during the early losing skid. How sloppy they looked coming out of training camp. There's lots of other little stuff.
I've said this before, but I don't think this team needs a happy, friendly player's coach. They also don't need a rigid systems guy (Gordon). I really believe this young team needs a light-a-fire-under-their-ass coach that can mould them. Not a screamer, but a disciplinarian type that will hold everyone accountable and constantly set higher expectations and have the team prepared to play every game from the first drop of the puck--or else...
Cappy seems like a nice guy, but I don't think the Isles take the step forward we all want without sending Cappy back to the minors and getting a real bonafide, hardass NHL coach.
Yeah, I gotta thought. The coach is the least of this team's problems.
BOOM!! This is the correct answer, the lack of NHL talent if you will is to blame (documented often around here). Not the coach who has a pretty decent overall record since taking over and who's staff has transformed this team into one of the best specialty team...uhhh teams. Oh and not to mention who the players love playing for.
I've been thinking about the job Cappy's done. A couple things Butch and Howie said last night during the Habs game really reinforced a couple things.
1) Their comment about giving up goals on the first shot of the game. They said it was like the 10th time it's happened. Butchie, despite his commentary skills, has clearly seen a lot of hockey. His comment that he's never seen anything like that before has to make you wonder what kind of preparation they have.
2) Howie or Butch mentioned at one point that Cappy was tinkering a bit with the lines in-game and that was unusual for him as he typically only did that between games. It struck me, because it seems he only does it between months it happens so infrequently.
Then there's all the other stuff. The time out thing with Detroit late. Taking months to scratch Rolston, Mottau, etc. to at least given them wake up calls. His refusal to tinker with lines much during the early losing skid. How sloppy they looked coming out of training camp. There's lots of other little stuff.
I've said this before, but I don't think this team needs a happy, friendly player's coach. They also don't need a rigid systems guy (Gordon). I really believe this young team needs a light-a-fire-under-their-ass coach that can mould them. Not a screamer, but a disciplinarian type that will hold everyone accountable and constantly set higher expectations and have the team prepared to play every game from the first drop of the puck--or else...
Cappy seems like a nice guy, but I don't think the Isles take the step forward we all want without sending Cappy back to the minors and getting a real bonafide, hardass NHL coach.
Thoughts?
I can appreciate his patience with his players and the fact that he works with what he has. Very opposite style of Stirling for instance who changed the roster and lines on a daily basis. Remember Robert Nilsson was recalled and sent down about 30 times during the course of a season.
That being said, Cappy does not seem to be proactive in finding new ways to win. As mentioned earlier, the fact that Rolston logged so much ice for us this season is flat out embarrassing. At the end of the day though, we don't know who is making which decisions and what type of pressure he gets from Snow/Wang to do certain things.
How many of those first shot on goals were lucky/flukey (if the goalie stops them is he all of a sudden doing a good job?). At least three of them came 3 minutes into the game (which means the team was ready to go).
Tinkering with lines is not a sign of a good coach, its a sign of an impatient man. There are good coaches who tinker and good coaches who don't, just as there are bad coaches who thinker and bad coaches that don't. Citing non-tinkering as evidence is ridiculous.
Regarding playing old players. ITS HARD TO SIT VETERANS.
Bill Bellichick apparently wanted Brady to play his second year, but couldn't because Bledsoe is a respected vet getting paid. His pressure didn't come from the Krafts but the lockerroom (I'm not going to look for the article but this is what an anonymous Jet assistant coach was told by Bellichick prior to the infamous Mo Lewis hit-that-changed-everything game).
Regarding playing old players. ITS HARD TO SIT VETERANS.
Bill Bellichick apparently wanted Brady to play his second year, but couldn't because Bledsoe is a respected vet getting paid. His pressure didn't come from the Krafts but the lockerroom (I'm not going to look for the article but this is what an anonymous Jet assistant coach was told by Bellichick prior to the infamous Mo Lewis hit-that-changed-everything game).
That situation with Bledsoe has no relevance to the Islanders playing the likes of Rolston on a nightly basis. If anything, Islander players are probably bitter that they are losing out on icetime to a washed up salary dump making waaaay more than anyone else on the team. If Rolston played the last 9 seasons with the Islanders and had success, that might be different.
Was watching NHL Live and they were interviewing Kevin Shattenkirk of the Blues. And they were talking about how Ken Hitchcock has helped the team so much. Shattenkirk said that they were lacking that extra drive with Davis Payne and Hitchcock helped them reach that extra drive. He also talked about experience and how Hitch knows every team around the league so well that he has a couple strategies for each team.
Cappy is not the guy to move forward with this team. As much as I like him as a person, I really can't see him leading this team to the playoffs. A team like this who is very young, is in desperate need of a coach who knows the league well.
Was watching NHL Live and they were interviewing Kevin Shattenkirk of the Blues. And they were talking about how Ken Hitchcock has helped the team so much. Shattenkirk said that they were lacking that extra drive with Davis Payne and Hitchcock helped them reach that extra drive. He also talked about experience and how Hitch knows every team around the league so well that he has a couple strategies for each team.
Cappy is not the guy to move forward with this team. As much as I like him as a person, I really can't see him leading this team to the playoffs. A team like this who is very young, is in desperate need of a coach who knows the league well.
St. Louis is a good example. How many minutes per game is Langenbrunner playing?
1. There are certain games this season that have been lost due to coaching mistakes (not calling a time out when sorely needed for example).
2. He has matched his lines very poorly against the opponent's lines a times immediately leading to goals against.
3. He clearly doesn't have these guys prepared for games some of the time (players are also at fault here, but it's systemic and should be addressed).
4. Blatant penalties and dirty hits against our players going uncalled and him appearing to not care on the bench. The refs do not respect him. We continuously get robbed.
I'm sure I could come up with more reasons I liked Capuano a lot last year and I do think he has a good relationship with his players, but we need upgrades EVERYWHERE on this team and that INCLUDES the coaching staff (and players, GM and owner...I know, I really do). We need a legit NHL coach with experience for our team which is built around a young core. Cappy is clearly out of his league here.
I've been thinking about the job Cappy's done. A couple things Butch and Howie said last night during the Habs game really reinforced a couple things.
1) Their comment about giving up goals on the first shot of the game. They said it was like the 10th time it's happened. Butchie, despite his commentary skills, has clearly seen a lot of hockey. His comment that he's never seen anything like that before has to make you wonder what kind of preparation they have.
2) Howie or Butch mentioned at one point that Cappy was tinkering a bit with the lines in-game and that was unusual for him as he typically only did that between games. It struck me, because it seems he only does it between months it happens so infrequently.
Then there's all the other stuff. The time out thing with Detroit late. Taking months to scratch Rolston, Mottau, etc. to at least given them wake up calls. His refusal to tinker with lines much during the early losing skid. How sloppy they looked coming out of training camp. There's lots of other little stuff.
I've said this before, but I don't think this team needs a happy, friendly player's coach. They also don't need a rigid systems guy (Gordon). I really believe this young team needs a light-a-fire-under-their-ass coach that can mould them. Not a screamer, but a disciplinarian type that will hold everyone accountable and constantly set higher expectations and have the team prepared to play every game from the first drop of the puck--or else...
Cappy seems like a nice guy, but I don't think the Isles take the step forward we all want without sending Cappy back to the minors and getting a real bonafide, hardass NHL coach.
Thoughts?
My thoughts: the ideal coach that you described sounds an awful lot like Al Arbour..that old man still alive??
It starts with Wang and Snow. No payroll and an incompetent GM. I am not a fan of Capuano but no coach could make this a winning team
Tell me what Snow can do better when he doesn't have any money to spend? Do you want him to trade for very expensive players? It wont happend since Wang doesn't want that to happend. Stop hating Snow for no reason.
I'd like the coach to be upgraded as well. I just don't think Wang willallow for the salary expense involved in anything but a cheap bottom of the barrel guy.
I agree, this team is as good if not better than the 07 team that made the playoffs. Ted Nolan is the best coach we've had in a while, he did miracles with the team
The flaws run through this organization, from the top. Better players AND coaches are needed, but when the on-ice product isn't the priority, well, you know the rest.
Goals on the first shot are a goalies problem, not to be blamed on the coach. I believe that Cappy is growing along with the players, we're in a rebuild and that's what's happening. Next coach? Hello Mr. Weight!
For me, when it comes to all that ails the Isles, it's a catch-22.
Cappy has done a better job then Gordon, but in the same token, I think it's obvious he's in over head at the NHL level. I think he belongs in the AHL where he is much more effective.
Garth Snow has both surprised me and underwhelmed me at the same time. Considering what he walked into he has done a good job restocking the farm, but how much of that was Ryan Jankowski? We know Snow is good at keeping us at the Cap floor, but how good would he be, if he had to keep a competitive team winning, while not going over the cap ceiling?
The Islanders current issues all do start and end with Charles Wang. The Islanders being seen by potential free agents as a Mickey Mouse organization—because of Charles Wang—is why they don't sign here. The Coliseum—as bad as it is—is not the problem.
