Simply put, my question is: Why do the Islanders crack under pressure, and more importantly, how the hell can the problem be eradicated?
We've all seen it time and time again, especially these last two seasons. When the Islanders have an important game they **** up. For example, opening night at home, Islanders and the fans had somewhat high expectations after their strong finish the previous season - of course, they come out flat and get shutout. Or how about the 2 games against Toronto earlier the year when the Islanders were right on the doorstep of the 8th playoff spot, again they lose the home and home. And there are many more examples of this.
My question is: why and how to fix it???
I don't understand how this could happen so many times to one team, especially throughout one season.
Is just a coincidence, and it just seems like the Isles lose games with a lot of pressure?
Is it a coaching problem?
Could it be talent or the specific players, even though players are constantly changing?
I used to get on them earlier saying that they had no heart which is why they cracked but the more I look at it I realized I was wrong. A team just can't get past things like not having a competent coach to prepare them or legit veteran guys to lead this young team, or good management that acts like they've been here before... all that stuff. You can't just let a bunch of kids "have at it" and expect results and to win those type of games, it just won't happen.
It is not the "pressure" it is a poorly constructed team with an incompetent coach, inept GM, and cheap owner. We have the worst defense in the conference and one of the smallest, softest, offensively inept forward groups in the league.
The fix starts at the top and than can trickle down to the team.
We all know Wang is going to be a cheap ******* which will constrict Snow from legitimately doing his job so we can't really change that. What we can change is the coach. Bring in a competent coach or Thompson from Bridgeport. At least Thompson has a system...
We also really need a top dman. Jay Bouwmeester and/or Keith Yandle should be targets.
I used to get on them earlier saying that they had no heart which is why they cracked but the more I look at it I realized I was wrong. A team just can't get past things like not having a competent coach to prepare them or legit veteran guys to lead this young team, or good management that acts like they've been here before... all that stuff. You can't just let a bunch of kids "have at it" and expect results and to win those type of games, it just won't happen.
This is my exact feelings. I'm not going to sit here and say I was saying NYI should be going after Ken Hitchcock but I'm also not getting paid to be GM. I did think they needed to atleast conduct invterviews with coaches with NHL resumes before just giving Cappy an extension. But they didn't.
Brian Rolston was out of shape and didn't care. Great veteran leadership. Staios and Pandolfo, while I belive they both do care and give it every thing they have every night, which I resepct, are just not good and if not re-signed by the Isles will probably be out of the league next year.
If this team was going to make the playoffs this year it was going to need solid leadership from the coaching position. Cappy is in over his head. It was going to need to have games where you're vets step up and help lead the way. All the guys on this team who I would actually call "leaders" are very young and inexperienced. This team needs to add some guys still in there late 20s who can still play hockey and know how to win.
They strugle under pressure because they have no body to help show them how to deal with it. They're all going into it with trial and error, learning by experience, and that can take a while.
Just to furthur my hate for Rolston but, a veteran stepping up is what we need. Boston has Horton and Peverly out and Rolston is one guy on Boston that stepped up and put up points.
Who's doing that for us? Secondary scoring didn't come strong until 15 games ago or so. We have been relying on the top line to carry the scoring and because they did that for so long we are seeing them slip. Mark Streit I believe, despite it not being popular belief, has stepped it up. But MacDonald and Hamonic has kind of stalled. Not regressed, not progressed, just stalled when it got close. Eaton and Jurcina fell and hard. Need those guys out.
Garth needs to bring in someone that will rise when we need them.
Coaching is a big part as well but we need the people on the ice to step up as well.
Honestly, I'm just happy that the Islanders are the least of my problems. Another season comes and goes. All along the way, I've had bigger fish to fry.
Or how about the 2 games against Toronto earlier the year when the Islanders were right on the doorstep of the 8th playoff spot, again they lose the home and home.
That's not really a good example considering the refs swallowed their whistles in both games
This team is basically like a ship full of Cadets with no veteran sailors being shipped off to war. With no one to lead them, it's not reasonable to expect them to know how to survive.
Capuano explained it yesterday. He said, they prepared for yesterday the same they have all year, which has traditionally meant blowing it in the third. He is unable to learn from his own mistakes, whether in-game or 75 games into a season. He is the definition of insane.
This team is basically like a ship full of Cadets with no veteran sailors being shipped off to war. With no one to lead them, it's not reasonable to expect them to know how to survive.
Exactly. They needed to bring in solid vets, but can't due to Wang's financial shackles. The damage being caused by this to the kids development is seen in blown leads, but down the line it will be exposed more when players who should have grown into good solid vets themselves end up one dimensional journeymen.
Saw a stat at the beginning of the 3rd period that the Isles were 13-4-1(don't remember the loser points exactly) when tied after 2 periods. You'd think that would be a playoff team.
Between blowing 3rd period leads (that's a nauseating stat) and all those 1st shot goals allowed - they certainly must focus on starting and finishing games in the off season. Hypnotize them to play a full 60...
Saw a stat at the beginning of the 3rd period that the Isles were 13-4-1(don't remember the loser points exactly) when tied after 2 periods. You'd think that would be a playoff team.
Between blowing 3rd period leads (that's a nauseating stat) and all those 1st shot goals allowed - they certainly must focus on starting and finishing games in the off season. Hypnotize them to play a full 60...
When the players know that they've nothing to play for anymore (ie. playoffs) they let their shoulders down and let loose. Then they start winning games and play well because they know they've got nothing to lose.
It's a lack of leadership both on and off the ice coupled with too much inexperience on the ice.
In my opinion it's the lack of maturity and the lack of good coaching. Consistent effort and maturity will come with better coaching. I don't want Cappy back next year, but I have a sad feeling he might be.
Look at what this season could have been! We lost our first 6 OT/SO games. We had those 2 games against washington where we were very close to gettign 4 points and leaving Washington with 0, but guess what? They got 4, and we got one. There were 5 or 6 games early in the season that we could have gained an extra point or 2 in if we hadnt been killed by the refs, especially late in the game. That diving call on Tavares, that OT delay of game against the sharks, that 5 minute major and game misconduct on Hamonic. Those 2 back to back games against the leafs where the isles had 0 poer plays, and in that same game they missed a big interference call on KO which created an odd man rush for the LEafs to win the game. IDK Just a ton of stuff.
Its oftena game of chance. Isles misfortune this year has been a combination of lack of consistent effort, which should come with maturity, lack of good coaching, and some really bad luck,
Weve been saying it for 2 years now, but next year we'll make it. We will be next year's St. Louis Blues. (We wont challenge for the presidents trophy but I see a huge points jump, maybe well get to triple digits, at least 95+ :shrug:
It is not the "pressure" it is a poorly constructed team with an incompetent coach, inept GM, and cheap owner. We have the worst defense in the conference and one of the smallest, softest, offensively inept forward groups in the league.
The fix starts at the top and than can trickle down to the team.
For once we are in agreement.
This team doesn't stink because of some overused vague term like "pressure" or "lack of heart." They just have very little talent and poor coaching (repeating what you said).
Something else I forgot to add to my post, this team has ZERO pressure. They play in front of 10,000 fans a night with ZERO media coverage. They are anonymous once they take the jersey off. The pressure exists in Toronto, Buffalo, Vancouver, etc.. In NY the pressure exists for the Rangers, Yankees, Jets, Giants and the Mets before the last few years. The Isles are expected to lose every season and are picked to be last or close to it every season, that is not pressure. The organization SUCKS. It is not pressure
Something else I forgot to add to my post, this team has ZERO pressure. They play in front of 10,000 fans a night with ZERO media coverage. They are anonymous once they take the jersey off. The pressure exists in Toronto, Buffalo, Vancouver, etc.. In NY the pressure exists for the Rangers, Yankees, Jets, Giants and the Mets before the last few years. The Isles are expected to lose every season and are picked to be last or close to it every season, that is not pressure. The organization SUCKS. It is not pressure
True. The pressure is from other teams but I agree with all you said.
A player would never take the clipboard from a coach that was well regarded and respected. It undermines the chain of command and leadership principles associated with it. Cappy has ZERO leadership and the players feel they can do what they want, which shows in the ice.
Well this isn't that hard a question really.
Outside of Streit and Nabokov, the only players we have that have been there before are 38 year olds with no impact on the game.
Our coach has never been there before.
None of our assistants have ever been there before.
Generally when you have virtually nobody on the ice or on the bench that has played and won meaningful NHL games, youre going to have a hard time winning meaningful NHL games. Ryan Callahan broke into the league having a hall of fame Jaromir Jagr lead him into the playoffs, and now with that experience, Callahan, along with Gaborik, Richards, and a cup winning coach, is leading the Hagelins and Anisimovs and McDonaughs into meaningful hockey games.
Our young guys get asked to carry the load with nobody that has carried a team before in their lives to help and show them the way. They played for 2 coaches and various assistants that have never coached an NHL playoff game, or a meaningful game with playoff implications. So it isn't all that hard to picture us folding like a cheap tent in anything resembling a big game when we are playing teams with leaders and coaches that have coached big games before.
And then on top of that throw in glaring roster issues like no true #2 center, and a small defense that can't move the puck effectively or win one on one battles, and the fact that our inexperienced coach is also inept at coaching, and this is what you get.
Simply put, my question is: Why do the Islanders crack under pressure, and more importantly, how the hell can the problem be eradicated?
We've all seen it time and time again, especially these last two seasons. When the Islanders have an important game they **** up. For example, opening night at home, Islanders and the fans had somewhat high expectations after their strong finish the previous season - of course, they come out flat and get shutout. Or how about the 2 games against Toronto earlier the year when the Islanders were right on the doorstep of the 8th playoff spot, again they lose the home and home. And there are many more examples of this.
My question is: why and how to fix it???
I don't understand how this could happen so many times to one team, especially throughout one season.
Is just a coincidence, and it just seems like the Isles lose games with a lot of pressure?
Is it a coaching problem?
Could it be talent or the specific players, even though players are constantly changing?
