The New York Islanders are watching their season fall apart. They won only four games in January, averaging 1.93 goals per game, and entered the All-Star break on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. While the Islanders won back-to-back games after the break and seemed to have turned a corner, they came crashing back to earth, losing three in a row to the Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators. The recent skid makes it easy to think they won’t make the playoffs and could face a future of uncertainty in the front office, coaching staff, and on the roster.
Related: Islanders Season Has Fallen Apart – How We Got Here
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It’s easy to assume that head coach Lane Lambert is in the hot seat, and recently, he looks like he’s coaching for his job; he has intensified practice, notably stopping drills and having the team do them again while also shuffling lines in the middle of games and benching players for multiple shifts. The signs of desperation from the head coach haven’t been matched by the team, an indication that he’s lost the locker room and a new coach is needed.
Lambert hasn’t had a great first season behind the bench. His line shuffling and aggressive style have both backfired. The Islanders forwards have struggled to build chemistry, while the defensemen are often caught out of position and allow easy scoring chances for the opposition.
That said, the Islanders’ issues go beyond the bench. Lambert might be coaching for his job but replacing him won’t improve a team with greater underlying problems that stem from the front office and the players.
Islanders Roster Was Built to Fail
General manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello built a roster that is led by and relies on its depth. With four reliable forward lines, three strong defensive pairings, and two starting goaltenders, the Islanders reached the Stanley Cup Semifinal in 2020 and 2021 without star power. However, the past two seasons have shown the downside of the roster build.
When a few players are injured, the team falls apart. Last season, the Islanders couldn’t recover when Ryan Pulock was out of the…
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