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The Islanders announced this morning that they have lifted the interim title and named Doug Weight full time head coach.
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Welcome back to Jeopardy, I'm Noel Fogelman filling in for Alex Trebek. There is one category left on the board. Sparky, it's your turn.
Sparky: I'll take New York Islanders for $200.
The answer is 3:57
What was the total time on ice for Ryan Pulock as an Islander this season.
Pulock was recalled to replace Nick Leddy. Unfortunately Pulock broke his foot blocking a shot against the Arizona Coyotes October 21. He missed six weeks. Former head coach Jack Capuano said that once he returned from injury that he would be sent for conditioning in Bridgeport. Apparently his conditioning stint is still ongoing as he never played with the Islanders again this season. Pulock has dominated the AHL this season. In 53 games, the defenseman has 44 points. He was doing everything that the organization asked, he was being more assertive and improved his defense. But apparently not enough to warrant a call up. General manager Garth Snow felt Pulock's 102 MPH slap shot could not help the 28th ranked power play.
The answer is November 15, 2016
When was the day that Jack Capuano should have been fired?
The Islanders were shut out by the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 the night before. It was a clear no show. The Bolts dominated the Isles 14-2 in the three-game season sweep. The loss dropped the Isles to 5-8-3 (1-3-3 in seven November games). The Isles had three days off before their next game. Following the loss even Jack Capuano seemed resigned to fact that his time as head coach was about to come to an end and had to defend himself. It's on me," Capuano said. "I have to find the right combinations for us to find some offense. We've been able to do it in the past. I have faith in myself and my coaching staff. But we have to find a way to get some offense."
The following day Snow gave Capuano a vote of confidence. “Jack is an excellent coach,” Snow said. “We have good players. I love our coaching staff. In fact, last time I checked, he coached in the World Cup and there were some pretty good coaching staffs.” The last time I check Team USA was dreadful. Snow waited two months before firing his possible tenant. The Isles went 12-9-5 during that stretch. The Islanders went 24-12-4 once Doug Weight was hired and had the second-most points in the league following Capuano's dismissal.
The answer is Seven
What is the number of times the Islanders have allowed the lead goal in the final three minutes of regulation?
When a team misses the playoffs by one point, you can look at a number of factors. This is probably the most glaring. The Islanders managed to win just one of those seven games, Brock Nelson's OT winner against the Leafs on February 6. To break it down even more, two of those seven happened with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. One of the back-breakers occurred in Sunrise on November 12 when Jonathan Marchessault scored with 14 seconds left in to force overtime. The Panthers would win in overtime. Another point down the drain. How bout Ryan Strome's ill-advised icing in Detroit that led to Danny DeKeyser's goal and a crushing loss. Playoff teams lock down those games.
The answer is 3.47
What was Jean-Francois Berube's goals-against average following Jaroslav Halak's demotion?
The three-goalie system reared its ugly head once again this season. Snow's decision to keep Berube in favor of P.A. Parenteau, who was signed in July was a head-scratching move. Snow must have thought that he had the second coming of Patrick Roy. Berube, who had to pass through waivers in order to play in the AHL did not see NHL action until December, struggled all season. Two of his seven starts this season were considered "Really Bad Starts". RBS are starts where a goalie's save percentage is below 85%. Naturally those two starts occurred when Halak was in Bridgeport. His last start was the embarrassing 8-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes that was nationally televised. Enter Halak, who spent almost three months in Bridgeport due to Snow's little spat with Halak's agent Allan Walsh, had a great stint in the AHL and brought that strong playback with him. He was arguably the best goaltender in the NHL since his return on March 24. Halak was 6-1 (6-0 in his starts) with a 1.58 GAA and .949 save percentage. With Berube headed for free agency, there's no reason why a Halak-Greiss tandem wouldn't work for the upcoming season.
The answer is 2006
When was Garth Snow hired?
The former goaltender is the fourth-longest tenured general manager in the league now that the Los Angeles Kings fired Dean Lombardi Monday after missing the playoffs. Lombardi, who was hired a couple months before Snow, won two Stanley Cups during his tenure. Snow has won one playoff series. The onus on winning is clearly higher in La La land than in New York. The average tenure of an NHL general manager is around five years. Snow has more than double that if you count this past season in which he basically was an absentee GM. Owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin have been in search of someone to oversee hockey operations for almost a year now. Why would any sensible hockey man come here if a general manager is already in place. The hockey gods have given the Islanders a candidate with the pedigree they're looking for. Ledecky is familiar with the Kings organization as he has been in contact with hall of famer and now Kings president Luc Robitaille. There are reports as to how many years remain on Snow's deal. That cannot be a factor in deciding his fate. We should find out soon whether Snow's job is in Jeopardy.
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