OffThePost.org

I told myself I wouldn't post anything on here today. I lied.

Watching the D follow opponents to the corner, leaving another opponent wide open in front of your net is mite level hockey. It's beyond moronic and they keep doing it. Lambert just always looks pissed off, shaking his head and muttering behind the players. That's not coaching. Trotz would look mildly annoyed after a goal against but when the players got to the bench he'd talk to them, explain what they did wrong and I assume what they could do better next time. That's coaching. Lambert simply isn't doing it.

The players are putting in like 40 minutes/game, if that. A coach's job is to push the players to give more than either they wanted to give, or knew they had in them. Get your players to overachieve, individually and as a team. If you're back there shaking your head, what does that tell them? Guy stood next to a HoF coach for 10 years and didn't learn that? Fuck this guy. NEXT. This experiment has failed. They've got an aging roster that is supposedly built to win now. Even MacLean has fixed the donkey show of a PP to be at least alright. Now Houda is fucking up the D and Lambert is standing there seeing how far up his ass he can get his thumb. Enough. Bring in Gallant and let him berate the supposedly "win now" roster into, oh I don't know, maybe trying to win now. He's got a 1-2 year shelf life, this would give him maybe 2 post-seasons to push them into overachieving, if they make the change soon enough to make this year's post-season. They're on pace for like 84 points right now. Make the change. Do it. Now! You know you want to.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

So let's say they fire Lambert. Who would be the best guy to bring aboard? I have no idea who the assistants or the guys in Bridgeport are.

Unfortunately for Lou, Larry Robinson is likely too old to parachute in for interim duties.

Bridgeport is currently 6-11-1, with a new HC as of this year after Brent Thompson shipped off to Anaheim to join his old bud.
Bridgeport's staff:
Chris Lamoriello General Manager
Rick Kowalsky Head Coach
Matt Macdonald Assistant Coach
Pascal Rheaume Assistant Coach
Chris Terreri Goaltending Coach
Mike Antone Video Coordinator

Nobody there I think deserves the bump up to NHL HC.

NYI assistants- Doug Houda (D) and John MacLean (O). Houda has the D running around like mites. Apparently they've abandoned the Trotzian clamp down system in favor of two defenders chasing an opponent into the corner while leaving an opponent wide open in the slot. MacLean finally got the PP going but the O is still a bit of a shit show, as they don't backcheck like they need to with the D running around in their own zone. They give up tons of odd man rushes, and I wouldn't blame Sorokin or Varlamov if they ask for a trade if this keeps up.

Jacques Lemaire is a "special assignment" coach. Lou could hire him and then fire him just before playoffs But seriously, the biggest name that's out there I can think of, besides guys who were just fired from other NHL teams, is Gerard Gallant. I rolled my eyes at the mention of his name early on, but I guess I've got Stockholm Syndrome now, because I'm buying into the arguments I read on Isles boards. The team seems to need a kick in the ass instead of an eye roll and head shake. D Sutter's name has been mentioned, but I think he's done. Gallant is old school enough to get better effort out of them for like 1.5 seasons, but not so old school that they'd quit on him in that time frame. I think they'd hit message fatigue right around 1.5-1.75 years and that could be exactly what they need right now.

At this point, I think a change is needed. The team hasn't played many 60 minute games under Lambert, going back all through last year. There seems to be very little confidence in the systems, and it's obvious why. They suck. No lead is safe. This is mostly the same team that you could bet your life on a lead lasting the first 3.5 years under Trotz. Now it's like "they're up by 2 with 10 minutes to go in the game. Will they take moronic penalties and give up PP goals, or just watch odd man rush after odd man rush? Ah, two penalties and they allowed multiple odd man rush goals on each PP". There is just no certainty of anything, other than odd man rushes and dumb penalties.

I supported this team through years where the top players were barely AHL star quality. I can't even really watch this team anymore. Last night I turned the game on and went into a different room to work on my summer vacation plans, going into the TV room to see goal replays, because I can't take watching all the BS as it happens. That's sad.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Does Doug Weight want back in?

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I think Varlamov and Sorokin would stab him before he got to be HC again. 6-4 games every night isn't what a goalie wants. They're facing about 34 shots/game as of now with a more defensive structure. If Weight was in charge of D, it would be more like 43. Weight's coaching didn't involve the D-zone. He believed in nothing behind the red line.

But they may end up going with him. If/when they fire Lambert.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Anders Lee falls so much anymore he’d be broke if he started a charity like Hartnell Down. Guy has thighs like redwoods but they don’t mean shit when you’re sliding along the ice all the time.

Holmstrom has 6 goals on the year now. 3 are shorties.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Fugly but the isles beat the canes in a back and forth game. Blew a 1 goal lead with 2.5 seconds in regulation but Barzal wins it in OT.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

The Barzal-to-Bowie goal was pretty slick.

Boy that would be interesting if they went with Gallant. I personally find the guy to be pretty overrated and his stint with the Rangers more or less exposed him, but that would at the very least fire up the old in-state rivalry if nothing else.

I'm not sure the in-state rivalry needs firing up. The only thing Isles and Rangers fans agree on is that them only playing 3 times a year sucks.

I'm not sure Gallant is a good coach or not. I just know Lambert isn't looking like one, despite supposedly being Trotz's top disciple. I'll find it very interesting to see if the Isles fire Lambert- will Trotz hire him right away. If he really sees him as him as so good, he'll take him on in some sort of advisory role. If he doesn't, he probably knew he wasn't that great.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Barzal-less Islanders (he is sick) hang on to beat the Panthers by an ass hair, 4-3. Sorokin with 40 saves. Again. Gauthier with his first as an Islander, right off a faceoff. Horvat won it back to him and Gauthier picked the high, glove side corner. Holmstrom with a nice goal off the rush for his 7th. Kid looks good. Lee with a nice tip for a PP goal. Most importantly the Isles didn't totally blow their 2 goal third period lead. They allowed one, but didn't take the usual undisciplined penalty.

4 out of 6 possible points on the road trip sounds great, but then you remember they blew that game in NJ, so it could have been 6/6. That NJ game is going to taste like a shit sandwich the rest of the year.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Fucking Islanders. 4-1 lead in the third. Sharks, yes the SHARKS, tied it with two extra attacker goals. Isles hit two posts then three isles watch Eklund come into their zone and win it with 4.3 seconds left in OT. All I can do is laugh at this point.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Lambert called the loss a sin! https://twitter.com/IslesFix/status/173 ... RRn0A&s=19

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I mean…that’s gotta be it for Lane right?

I would think so, but I thought so already this year. Seems like either Lou has gone soft in his old age, or he doesn't want to admit that he made a mistake in hiring Lambert. I don't remember if I said this here or on an Isles board, but I'd find it really interesting to see if Trotz hires Lambert in some capacity if he gets fired.

My "concern" is they'll just move MacLean up to HC, and I'm not sure that would be a big enough change. He finally fixed the PP and added some movement, but I'm not sure having any of these coaches stay onboard is a good idea. This team used to be an absolute lock to win if they had a lead. I'm not kidding when I say that last night, vs the worst team in the league, when they went up by 3 in the third period I said "well that should hopefully ensure they get one point". They got one point. Maybe this is the embarrassment the players need to change some shit about their own games. Maybe it's the last straw for Lambert. Maybe CLam needs to wake Lou up and let him know what happened... It's clear to the entire hockey world that something needs to change. The questions are, what will it be, and will it be enough to make an impact on a team with a ton of NTCs and long deals.



Yeah well he's got a lot to confess, the Dracula looking motherfucker. You'd think SOME of what Trotz taught teams about holding onto a third period lead for a solid decade would rub off on the guy standing next to him the whole time. Some!

After a night's sleep I usually calm down. I'm actually more pissed off this morning. I had started to not care at all about this team, then they brought me back in with a little win streak. Very little. As in "not big enough to climb out of the cesspool they'd dug and filled for themselves to wallow in". 7 year deal Mayfield with the slowest double clutch ever before putting the puck right to their defender at the point instead of icing it... Barzal playing D in OT like his controller was unplugged... As Coach from Letterkenny would say-


Lost in all of this bullshit was Mike Reilly getting his first as an Islander. Nice SH goal, assisted by Holmstrom, who is turning into a greak PKer. They'll probably trade him for some old, washed up vet. One of Lou's former Devils.

They'll lose to the Blue Jackets tomorrow.

Fun fact- Isles lead the league in loser points.
Another one I just saw- Isles have blown the lead 11 times in the third period this season. they have played 24 games. That’s 45%. Fucking stellar!

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Saw the highlights. Dude, what is up with Scott Mayfield? Right before Hertl scored the hat trick goal to tie it up (at least I think it was that one) he gave Mayfield a light shove in the back and Mayfield slid waaay out of the slot area so fast I half expected a pair of curlers to show up with brooms to slow him down. Left Hertl WIDE open. Last I checked, Mayfield was 6’4”, 205.

brooms heat the ice up, creating a micro layer of moisture which allows the rock to travel further. If you want the rock to slow down, don't sweep.

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Shoresy, "It's called a sweater"

Man, that loss is huge seeing that 2nd place to 7th in the Metro, is separated by only 4 points.

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Mayfield signed his 7 year deal and has been a donkey show since. He's just been awful so far this year. He double clutched the clearing attempt when the Sharks had the extra attacker on. Dude, just get it the fuck out! Don't wait to get covered and then throw it at easy catching height directly to their point. And yeah, the guy kept for 7 more years to "bring snarl" has been a total candy ass so far this year. He gets pushed around by everyone. Lee too. He gets flattened at least twice/game. He's got huge legs! Dude should be crushing everyone who hits him. Instead he's on his back looking up. Ug.


It's such a log jam! The Isles keep shooting themselves in the foot. Caps are one point behind them but have 2 games in hand. Isles point projection is 89 right now. Caps is 96. Something needs to change on LI. Now.

I sometimes blame Lambert, sometimes the players. But you can't fire like 20 players. You can change the coach easily. It's time. Even if he's not the entire problem, he's not getting them to play to their ability, let alone above it. The only player who looks better this year than before is Holmstrom, and I think that's partially because they're just playing him more because other players look that bad. Or the usual PK guys are the ones taking dumb penalties (Clutterbuck and Cizikas).

I said this morning I wouldn't even bother commenting on this team today. As usual, I lied to myself. This is like watching Jack Capuano Islanders. Yay they got a lead! Ohhh, they blew it.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

Lambert called the collapse vs the Sharks "a sin". Well Dracula, the way you've coached the D has been a mortal sin. The PP was for a long time, but you finally got that fixed. Hoo-fucking-ray!

Game vs the Blue Jackets later tonight. If the Isles have a lead in the third, I'd bet good money on the Blue Jackets tying it up, if not winning it. I may actually open a betting account.

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.

4-2 Isles going into the third. Hang on! Gonna be a nail biter!!!

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Posting your political views on social media is like sticking your head up your ass & whispering: You're just as likely to change someone's mind, and you'll always come out looking like a shithead.