Last night on Hockey Night in New York, Former NHLer and Kraken color analyst JT Brown joined the fellas to chat about his time in the NHL in the broadcast booth and give a preview of what's to come versus the Kraken.
Last week couldn't have gone much worse for the Islanders. With three losses in regulation, the team slipped to a 5-5-3 record and down towards the bottom of the standings. Sean and Stefen tried to make sense of it all and whether they could snap out of it on their upcoming trip to Western Canada.
Good Morning, Islanders Country.
If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all, especially when it’s directed at your fans (even if they’re chanting to fire your coach).
“It’s a joke. That kind of stuff ticks me off. It really does. I’ve got no time for those fans. I’ve got no time for them. If they want to be like that, they can stay home.” - Casey Cizikas
Cizikas was understandably frustrated after Saturday’s 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, the team’s fourth straight. After starting 5-2-2, they are tumbling down the standings and now sit at 5-5-3, heading into their four-game road trip that starts tonight in Edmonton. This is a guy who said he was going to “die an Islander” after he signed his six-year extension. I expect him to be asked about this later today and walk things back. If he does, I think he gets a pass.
Listen, I’m not a season ticket holder. I’m not spending thousands of dollars on seats, and hundreds each and every time I step foot into UBS Arena to watch the on-ice product. If you’re ticked off and feel disrespected by a veteran player, you’re allowed to be, just as you’re allowed to chant whatever you want.
As for Lane Lambert, I don’t think he’s a bad coach. He’s been around the game too long and spent too many seasons learning from Barry Trotz to be. However, through his first 95 games as head coach, he’s failed to show he’s a difference-maker. Not every team needs a special coach to be successful, but the talent level of the Islanders roster demands it. They had that with Barry Trotz. He made a good team, great at times, and a playoff team, a Stanley Cup contender.
They say you shouldn’t make change for change's sake. There’s merit to that thinking, but at the same time, we’ve seen it work too many times in hockey and other sports to say it shouldn’t be considered. If the Isles continue to sputter on the road trip, there’s a chance there won’t be a reason to chant “Fire Lambert” anymore at UBS Arena by the time they come back.
Coming up, tonight’s opponent makes a coaching change, and Simon Holmstrom has become a treat to play with. Plus, Alexander Romanov’s strong game, the time Mark Parrish irked the fans, and Double Chili!
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