November 29, 2011, New York Islanders column for HockeyPrimeTime.com

No team is an island – except these guys

Columns

Written by Denis Gorman

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 21:40

To borrow the words of P.A. Parenteau, "There's only bad stuff" when one examines the Islanders' situation. Waiving Blake Comeau, or potentially firing coach Jack Capuano, are feeble attempts at a solution. A few minutes after the humiliation was complete, the atmosphere inside the New York Islanders' dressing room at the Nassau Coliseum was an uncomfortable amalgamation of silence, anger, frustration and embarrassment. The reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Boston Bruins, arrived in a building was once known as Fort Neverlose and turned it into Fort The Islanders Never Had A Chance. Boston’s 6-0 rout on Nov. 19 was as complete a win as you’ll see in the NHL. Ten Bruins finished with at least one point, led by Chris Kelly’s three (two goals and an assist). Thirteen Bruins were plus-one or better, highlighted by Joe Corvo’s plus-four ranking. Tim Thomas did not have to work terribly hard to earn his 28th NHL shutout – he's currently up to 29 – only having to turn away 23 mostly harmless shots. Boston led 3-0 after one period. Jack Capuano, who melted down in his post-game media briefing for the second time in six nights, replaced starter Rick DiPietro with AHL Bridgeport call-up Anders Nilsson before the second period. Nilsson was the only Islander to perform with any distinction and he yielded three goals in the final period. If the organization viewed the game as a referendum on where they rank against the NHL’s elite, the honest conclusion is this: The Islanders did not compete and do not have the requisite talent to consistently compete against the league’s best. “This is the NHL,” P.A. Parenteau said, his voice barely a whisper. “You’re going to get beat like that if you don’t execute. “There’s definitely not much positive you can take from this one. There’s only bad stuff; there’s nothing good about this game.” The Islanders are 3-7-2 in November with one game remaining. Their 41 goals scored are fewest in the NHL. Their 6-11-4 overall mark is dead last in the Eastern Conference and ranks 28th in the league. Only Anaheim and Columbus are worse. Yet it feels as if the Islanders are in worse shape than the Ducks and Blue Jackets. Reportedly, Anaheim is shopping Bobby Ryan while Columbus finally has its envisioned roster healthy. Ryan could fetch a bounty for an exceedingly top-heavy Anaheim squad while Columbus is 4-3-2 since Nov. 12. If GM Scott Howson feels a need to start over, he should receive plenty of enticing offers for Rick Nash. The Islanders? They called up enforcer Michael Haley from Bridgeport before last Thursday's loss to Philadelphia. Haley compiled 546 penalty minutes in 212 AHL games. The organization apparently felt the answer to the team's season-long offensive ineptitude was to divest a soon-to-be 26-year-old power forward and promote an AHL fourth-line forward. There is more. TSN reported last Tuesday that general manager Garth Snow spoke to fellow executives regarding left wing Blake Comeau. It was said that Snow wanted “picks” for Comeau, who had not scored and was minus-11 in 16 games with the Islanders. Comeau finished 2010-11 with 24 goals and 46 points. Evidently, Snow was unable to find a buyer so he placed Comeau on waivers on Thanksgiving. The next morning, both the Flames and Islanders announced that Comeau was headed to Calgary. Comeau had signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract over the summer and is a UFA following this season. The organization apparently felt the answer to the team's season-long offensive ineptitude was to divest a soon-to-be 26-year-old power forward and promote an AHL fourth-line forward. That is equal parts laughable, pitiful, and nonsensical. As are the rumors regarding Jack Capuano’s lack of job safety. While it is easier to fire one coach than it is to trade 20 players, what good would come from relieving Capuano of his coaching duties? He replaced Scott Gordon as head coach on November 15, 2010. That the Islanders are 32-40-14 in the 86 games he has coached spanning last season and this season might qualify as a miraculous act. There are some intriguing pieces – John Tavares, Matt Moulson and Michael Grabner, most notably – but the majority of the Isles’ roster are marginal NHLers at best. It is impossible to succeed when you’re not given enough tools to be successful with. No coach, whether an out-of-work NHLer looking to break back in the league, or a rising star at the AHL level, is going to take a job in which they are set up to fail. Perhaps until further notice, the former Fort Neverlose should be re-titled Fort Failure. On Twitter: @HockeyPrimeTime and @DenisGorman

Last Updated on Wednesday, November 30, 2011 01:50

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