Islanders Fire Jack Capuano

[Jamarquan 201]

The Islanders, who are in 28th place in the NHL, last in the East, last in the Metropolitan Division and winners of their last game, have fired head coach Jack Capuano halfway through his eighth season with the team. 

I'll be the first to admit that the Islanders have underperformed this season, for a lot of reasons. Irresponsible signings on the part of Garth Snow. John Tavares just has nobody to play with on his wings and may really leave after next year. Cizikas and Clutterbuck are not worth a combined 6+ million. Halak, who was supposed to be the guy, is in the AHL. Greiss, who is the guy, is a pending UFA at 30 years old who's going to get one hell of a raise. Berube will not be the guy. The defense is suspect at times. The prospect pool is full of guys who should be in the show by now and aren't there, either developmentally - Dal Colle or maturitally - Ho Sang (not a word, I know). 

How did it go so wrong? Snow had it going well up until free agency. He is the root of the problem and the guy who, let Kyle Okposo and Frans Nielsen walk without an offer, signed Rick Dipietro for fifteen seasons, as well as Kulemin + Grabovski for 9.25 / season, not to mention an (at the time) 31 year old Johnny Boychuk for 7yrs*6mil. No way he stays. 

The internet is calling for them to move to QC. Probably won't happen, but who knows. 

Not sure if inevitable new GM tries to salvage core or strip team to bones.

The Barclays Center is a travesty. Saw them play the Oilers there in November, and I don't know if I'd rather go there or NVMC.

I wonder how KGBeast is ... his team's doing well.

 

EDIT: Should mention that this is after Snow gave Capuano a 'Vote of Confidence'.

[Kgbeast 195]

Well... you asked for it and now you got it. I am not Islanders follower, but from my little exposure, I thought that coach is not bad, but perhaps a "dick" at least to some degree. I hope getting rid of him will signify a new beginning for the Islanders club. What is wrong with Barclays Center (note, I have never visited it)?

[Jamarquan 201]

1 minute ago, Kgbeast said:

Well... you asked for it and now you got it. I am not Islanders follower, but from my little exposure, I thought that coach is not bad, but perhaps a "dick" at least to some degree. I hope getting rid of him will signify a new beginning for the Islanders club. What is wrong with Barclays Center (note, I have never visited it)?

The place just isn't built for hockey. The scoreboard is over one blueline, seats are placed really oddly, the concourses are too small, almost 2000 seats have obstructed views, the location is not even close to convenient, etc. 

Capuano wasn't bad, per se, and a little bit of a 'dick', but Snow is the larger problem. 

It's the same problem the Leafs (a team I've been latching on to for the last few years) a couple of seasons back. Firing the coach isn't the problem. They may not be the best coach or a good coach at all, but it extends to management and ownership too. 

[strosedefence34 175]

As a long time Islander fan (23 years) I have dealt with disappointment since being a fan.  The year I was old enough to understand hockey, and root for a team was 93-94.  I have put up with the team through the Milbury era, and his ridiculous antics.  Firing Capuano will not change anything.  The whole coaching staff and front office need to go.  Garth does not know how to draft, he does not know how to make trades, and he signs people to ridiculous contracts.  All which was said above.  They fire the head coach, and leave the team in the hands of Doug Weight for now who can't even run a successful power play?  Here is to hoping this is a step in the right direction.

Barclays is a joke as a hockey arena goes, because it wasn't built for hockey.  Sure its state of the art and my wife likes that they have more bathrooms, but thats about it.  They use plastic pipes for the refrigeration system causing it to be the worst ice in the NHL.  There is no way they can fix this issue too because Barclays is used all year round.

[Jamarquan 201]

32 minutes ago, strosedefence34 said:

As a long time Islander fan (23 years) I have dealt with disappointment since being a fan.  The year I was old enough to understand hockey, and root for a team was 93-94.  I have put up with the team through the Milbury era, and his ridiculous antics.  Firing Capuano will not change anything.  The whole coaching staff and front office need to go.  Garth does not know how to draft, he does not know how to make trades, and he signs people to ridiculous contracts.  All which was said above.  They fire the head coach, and leave the team in the hands of Doug Weight for now who can't even run a successful power play?  Here is to hoping this is a step in the right direction.

Barclays is a joke as a hockey arena goes, because it wasn't built for hockey.  Sure its state of the art and my wife likes that they have more bathrooms, but thats about it.  They use plastic pipes for the refrigeration system causing it to be the worst ice in the NHL.  There is no way they can fix this issue too because Barclays is used all year round.

Yup. What people who watch on TV don't see is that the ice has to be scraped after every whistle. 

[strosedefence34 175]

Some people are saying Cappy had to fall on the sword for the Isles just being a terrible team.  While I agree its not 100% his fault there where a lot of things going on with the team that was.  Its not Garths fault that the team keep repeatedly blowing 3rd periods or that they don't have a successful power play.  That falls on the coaching staff IMO.  Cappy had them playing a bump and grind system when they really should switch to a speedy skilled system, because thats the guys he has.  Who knows what is going to happen in the off season.  I would love to see some major changes though.

[Jamarquan 201]

10 minutes ago, strosedefence34 said:

Some people are saying Cappy had to fall on the sword for the Isles just being a terrible team.  While I agree its not 100% his fault there where a lot of things going on with the team that was.  Its not Garths fault that the team keep repeatedly blowing 3rd periods or that they don't have a successful power play.  That falls on the coaching staff IMO.  Cappy had them playing a bump and grind system when they really should switch to a speedy skilled system, because thats the guys he has.  Who knows what is going to happen in the off season.  I would love to see some major changes though.

Their worst problem IMO was their zone entry and PP system. Having four guys flat footed waiting at the blueline while one carries it in and keeps getting stuffed doesn't help. Nor does having three guys at the point.

[the_game 452]

Isles missed the boat on firing Capuano a long time ago. Capuano should've been fired the moment Bruce Boudreau got let go from the Caps, Garth should've told Bruce name your price to come coach the isles. If you're an isles fan you've watched Cappy get out coached time and time again, dude couldn't figure out last change and how to get the right player match ups. 

Its too bad the problem isn't just the coach. For all the good Snow has done there's been too many misses and guys not developing. The players hate Barclays/Brooklyn and the commute. 

Hopefully the new owners bring in a Shanny type like the leafs to right the ship and give the team an identity again with the right pieces in the front office and most importantly on the ice.

[Hills 713]

41 minutes ago, the_game said:

Isles missed the boat on firing Capuano a long time ago. Capuano should've been fired the moment Bruce Boudreau got let go from the Caps, Garth should've told Bruce name your price to come coach the isles. If you're an isles fan you've watched Cappy get out coached time and time again, dude couldn't figure out last change and how to get the right player match ups. 

Its too bad the problem isn't just the coach. For all the good Snow has done there's been too many misses and guys not developing. The players hate Barclays/Brooklyn and the commute. 

Hopefully the new owners bring in a Shanny type like the leafs to right the ship and give the team an identity again with the right pieces in the front office and most importantly on the ice.

I don't really blame Garth on the the Brooklyn thing. More of a Nassau not allowing a new arena to be built no? That whole situation was a massive screw up but that arena was seriously awful.

[the_game 452]

The only thing run more haphazardly than the Islanders is Nassau County.  

[Jamarquan 201]

 

7 hours ago, Hills said:

I don't really blame Garth on the the Brooklyn thing. More of a Nassau not allowing a new arena to be built no? That whole situation was a massive screw up but that arena was seriously awful.

There were some botched attempts. One of them was a concept for a 60 story building which I believe included a ballpark, hotel, the arena itself, etc. 

EDIT: NVMC is being renovated but will end up only having 13000 seats for hockey. Islanders can move back there if they so choose, because they have an opt out coming up in their 25yr lease at Barclays Center.

 

[strosedefence34 175]

While I would love to see them move back to NVMC I don't they will even with the opt out.  I no longer live on Long Island, but my parents do, and it is way easier to get to a game at NVMC than Barclays.  

[the_game 452]

1 hour ago, strosedefence34 said:

While I would love to see them move back to NVMC I don't they will even with the opt out.  I no longer live on Long Island, but my parents do, and it is way easier to get to a game at NVMC than Barclays.  

Its my understanding the current situation/agreement with the Isles & Nets is pretty dysfunctional and doesn't allow the Isles to control a lot. The relationship the Nets/Barclays have with the Isles is the only one like it in all of the major sports. Most other ownership groups/teams get money from concessions, parking, etc., I tend to think the new ownership group probably doesn't love the current set up so them opting out is a real possibility or using it as leverage to rework the current deal.

I don't live on the Island anymore either and I know when I go back to see family I hate the traffic, but I'd rather be able to drive to the Coliseum than have to get on the LIRR to get to a game.

 

[strosedefence34 175]

37 minutes ago, the_game said:

Its my understanding the current situation/agreement with the Isles & Nets is pretty dysfunctional and doesn't allow the Isles to control a lot. The relationship the Nets/Barclays have with the Isles is the only one like it in all of the major sports. Most other ownership groups/teams get money from concessions, parking, etc., I tend to think the new ownership group probably doesn't love the current set up so them opting out is a real possibility or using it as leverage to rework the current deal.

I don't live on the Island anymore either and I know when I go back to see family I hate the traffic, but I'd rather be able to drive to the Coliseum than have to get on the LIRR to get to a game.

 

Yeah someone offered me tickets last time I was down there, and I turned them down because its just too much of a hassle to take the LIRR to a game.

[Jamarquan 201]

1 hour ago, the_game said:

Its my understanding the current situation/agreement with the Isles & Nets is pretty dysfunctional and doesn't allow the Isles to control a lot. The relationship the Nets/Barclays have with the Isles is the only one like it in all of the major sports. Most other ownership groups/teams get money from concessions, parking, etc., I tend to think the new ownership group probably doesn't love the current set up so them opting out is a real possibility or using it as leverage to rework the current deal.

I don't live on the Island anymore either and I know when I go back to see family I hate the traffic, but I'd rather be able to drive to the Coliseum than have to get on the LIRR to get to a game.

 

That's the reason for all the advertising in the arena though. The Islanders make almost all of their money from advertising, which is why two thousand seats are obstructed and there's a damn SUV in the corner.

[Jamarquan 201]

24 minutes ago, strosedefence34 said:

Yeah someone offered me tickets last time I was down there, and I turned them down because its just too much of a hassle to take the LIRR to a game.

Not that you'd want to take the highway either. It's a mess.

[the_game 452]

31 minutes ago, Jamarquan said:

That's the reason for all the advertising in the arena though. The Islanders make almost all of their money from advertising, which is why two thousand seats are obstructed and there's a damn SUV in the corner.

Wrong.

"Under the lease deal, the Islanders agreed to relinquish control of the business side of operations to get out of the red — a rare setup for any pro sports franchise. Barclays Center agreed to pay the Islanders an average lump sum of $53.5 million annually with the arena making its money off ticket and suite sales, sponsorships and other promotions, sources said."

[Jamarquan 201]

1 hour ago, the_game said:

Wrong.

"Under the lease deal, the Islanders agreed to relinquish control of the business side of operations to get out of the red — a rare setup for any pro sports franchise. Barclays Center agreed to pay the Islanders an average lump sum of $53.5 million annually with the arena making its money off ticket and suite sales, sponsorships and other promotions, sources said."

My bad.