Capuano sounds off on last-place Isles

Threatens Benchings Following Third Straight One-Goal Loss

January 12, 2017 By John Torenli, Sports Editor Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Frustrated Islanders head coach Jack Capuano took his players to task following Wednesday night’s 2-1 loss to Florida at Downtown’s Barclays Center. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

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During the course of a season, a coach may pick a specific moment to challenge his team publicly.

Islanders head coach Jack Capuano has been making a habit of it during the Brooklyn-based NHL’s squad’s brutal second campaign in our fair borough.

“There will be guys who will be out of the lineup next game, there’s no doubt about that,” Capuano fumed after watching his slumping team suffer its third consecutive defeat, 2-1, to the Florida Panthers in the front end of a home-and-home series Wednesday night before a crowd of 13,529 at Downtown’s Barclays Center.

Having scored just one goal in each of their last three contests and coming off their ninth defeat in the last 13 games overall, the Islanders (15-16-8, 38 points) are in the Eastern Conference cellar just one year after winning their first playoff series since 1993 during their inaugural season here.

Free-agent pickups like Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera, who got just under 10 minutes of playing time Monday and is likely to be one of Capuano’s bench-ridden casualties Friday night in Florida, have combined for just 24 points through their first 39 games with the Isles.

That’s hardly the production Capuano and general manager Garth Snow were expecting when they inked those players this past summer to help make up for the scoring they lost when free agents Kyle Okposo (Buffalo) and Frans Nielsen (Detroit) were not brought back into the Brooklyn fold.

“We signed some guys for reasons, we want to give those guys an opportunity,” Capuano said, taking direct aim at his veteran forwards. “You watch the game … they were non-factors.

“If you don’t have the mindset to be a difference-maker, knowing it’s a crucial time … then you’re in the wrong profession as an athlete.”

Capuano has taken not-so-veiled shots at his underperforming roster throughout this season, and called out goaltender Jaroslav Halak for giving up “some soft goals” in a 6-4 loss at Minnesota on Dec. 29.

Halak, the franchise’s single-season wins leader, has since been relegated to AHL Bridgeport after he cleared waivers just before the New Year.

Thomas Greiss has played well since being thrust into the No. 1 slot, yielding two goals in each of his four starts.

But the Isles have not supported the 30-year-old German netminder since rallying for six goals in a win at Winnipeg just hours before Halak cleared waivers.

Nick Leddy scored the lone goal for New York on Wednesday, cashing in on assists from Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck, but the Isles failed to get one past veteran goalie Roberto Luongo again despite outshooting the Panthers, 12-1, in the third period.

“The inconsistency is frustrating in the game,” Clutterbuck ceded. “We went through a stretch where we knew what we were going to get for 60 [minutes]. Today was kind of one of those nights where we were hoping at times. When you hope, I don’t think the puck is going to will itself in for you, it was one of those nights where you just need to jam one in.”

Even team captain John Tavares, who leads the club with 11 goals and 27 points, has been unable to lead the Isles out of the wilderness, going point-less during this current three-game slide.

“We seem to have spurts where we’re able to put the puck in the net and we seem to have times where we just don’t score as many goals,” Tavares admitted. “I wish I had the answer.”

So does Capuano, who has resorted to virtually every method possible to motivate what ultimately may be an ill-constructed roster, or at least one that needs another year or two for the upcoming youngsters to hit their stride as regular contributors.

“We had no rhythm, no execution,” Capuano seethed. “Certain guys should have stayed in the [locker] room. It was bad.”

Isle Have Another: With veteran defenseman Travis Hamonic sidelined by a lower-body injury, 22-year-old blueliner Adam Pelech filled in nicely Wednesday, logging a plus-one rating in 15 ½ minutes on the ice … Legendary Isles announcer Jiggs McDonald was honored with a video tribute, bronze microphone and team jersey before dropping the ceremonial puck Wednesday night. He has been calling NHL games since 1967, and began working for the Isles during their inaugural 1972 campaign on Long Island … After finishing up their two-game set with the Panthers, the Isles will visit Carolina on Saturday and Boston on Monday before kicking off a six-game homestand next Thursday night against Dallas.