Dan Petriw: Isles hope to end slide against the Sabres tonight

Feeling good about tonight... 4-1 NYI

before you guys rip me apart. I am on record for not liking the idea of the kids sitting tonight. the islanders are playing a delicate game of infusing youth into the team while not letting that infusion cost them points. the kids will play i'm certain of that...I just don't know when am i'm totally with you guys I don't love it

Feeling good about tonight... 4-1 NYI
- kcNYI

Me too. 4-3 Sabres.
Our first win comes on the island!

Me too. 4-3 Sabres.
Our first win comes on the island!
- KevinJames

I hope not can't you guys please wait till after we get a win? You're team as at least gone on record saying it's in a rebuild.

Dan Petriw: Isles hope to end slide against the Sabres tonight
- Dan Petriw

"Former first overall pick Nail Yakupov and highly touted Bruins d-man Dougie Hamilton have both been healthy scratches for their teams past two games"


The problem with this analogy Dan is these other highly touted rookies have sucked and deserved to get benched due to there being better players to replace them in the lineup and give the team the best chance to win. I don't see Matt Carkner or Bouchard as being good replacements for either player.

Just a few years back both Steven Stamkos and Tyler Seguin were sat as well

Stamkos has only missed two NHL games in his career. For Brock, this is what, his second in three games? I get what you're saying but these are extremely different circumstances given the ages of those players etc.
My concern is we have several checking line players on this team and sitting one of the few young skilled forwards seems a bit counter productive.

Dan Petriw: Isles hope to end slide against the Sabres tonight
- Dan Petriw

"I can see this being an unpopular move"


It's not that it's unpopular as much as it's just stupid and makes zero sense.

Just a few years back both Steven Stamkos and Tyler Seguin were sat as well

Stamkos has only missed two NHL games in his career. For Brock, this is what, his second in three games? I get what you're saying but these are extremely different circumstances given the ages of those players etc.
My concern is we have several checking line players on this team and sitting one of the few young skilled forwards seems a bit counter productive.
- keaner17

My concern is we have a coach who continues to talk about "passengers' and has just promoted one to the second line and the first PP unit a couple times . For doing what exactly?

before you guys rip me apart. I am on record for not liking the idea of the kids sitting tonight. the islanders are playing a delicate game of infusing youth into the team while not letting that infusion cost them points. the kids will play i'm certain of that...I just don't know when am i'm totally with you guys I don't love it
- Dan Petriw

Dan you company man.

before you guys rip me apart. I am on record for not liking the idea of the kids sitting tonight. the islanders are playing a delicate game of infusing youth into the team while not letting that infusion cost them points. the kids will play i'm certain of that...I just don't know when am i'm totally with you guys I don't love it
- Dan Petriw

If any of us really thought these kids were going to cost us points as compared to AMAC, Hickey, Carkner, Strait OR PMB, Regin, we'd be able to see that Capuano had some semblence of intelligence. As of now he looks like an absolute moron and as with most instances like this he will continue to do so. He's not a smart person, in fact he's quite dumb no matter how this game turns out. Sitting Donovan in place of Carkner or Nelson in for PMB is not going to win this game for the islanders.

Dan, the Islanders need a coach that will play the young players like Donovan and Nelson. It seems that Capuano is on a one year deal and if he misses the playoffs, he's gone so he play s the vets. I'm sure he is the one that wants Radek back. If he is just going to play vet's then they should gone after Ryan and Franson in the summer and traded some of the prospects. This really pisses me off...

My concern is we have a coach who continues to talk about "passengers' and has just promoted one to the second line and the first PP unit a couple times . For doing what exactly?
- Cptmjl

I might have to bring this avatar back!

My concern is we have a coach who continues to talk about "passengers' and has just promoted one to the second line and the first PP unit a couple times . For doing what exactly?
- Cptmjl

Cpt...this coach is a joke. He makes the playoffs one year and now he thinks he's Al Arbour...Crapuano is the worse coach in the NHL...

If Nelson was really struggling out there, it'd be one thing. You'd have your usual two camps of "let the kids play" and "sit him if he's hurting the team."

To the contrary, he was benched after a solid start, and is being sat solely because he's a rookie. I said before Chicago that it's not the worst thing in the world for a rookie to watch a game from above as a learning experience. Don't see much point in sitting him again though...now you're just going to screw with his confidence and consistency for no reason.

If Nelson was really struggling out there, it'd be one thing. You'd have your usual two camps of "let the kids play" and "sit him if he's hurting the team."

To the contrary, he was benched after a solid start, and is being sat solely because he's a rookie. I said before Chicago that it's not the worst thing in the world for a rookie to watch a game from above as a learning experience. Don't see much point in sitting him again though...now you're just going to screw with his confidence and consistency for no reason.
- UIF

It's no better than sticking Nino on the 4th line all year. Cappy will not be happy until all the kids want to be traded.

Cpt...this coach is a joke. He makes the playoffs one year and now he thinks he's Al Arbour...Crapuano is the worse coach in the NHL...
- kear20

He should at the very least be in the running for that award. There is zero logic involved with a lot of his decisions. They make little or as in most situations ZERO sense.

If Nelson was really struggling out there, it'd be one thing. You'd have your usual two camps of "let the kids play" and "sit him if he's hurting the team."

To the contrary, he was benched after a solid start, and is being sat solely because he's a rookie. I said before Chicago that it's not the worst thing in the world for a rookie to watch a game from above as a learning experience. Don't see much point in sitting him again though...now you're just going to screw with his confidence and consistency for no reason.
- UIF

When you have Bouchard playing as strong as he has it makes that decision even harder for Capuano.

I might have to bring this avatar back!

- keaner17

Capuano should wear that medallion around his neck with his collar open.

Lets go Isles!

Lets go Isles!
- ImThatGuy

I say the Devils have first overall covered which means you guys are still going to get it

before you guys rip me apart. I am on record for not liking the idea of the kids sitting tonight. the islanders are playing a delicate game of infusing youth into the team while not letting that infusion cost them points. the kids will play i'm certain of that...I just don't know when am i'm totally with you guys I don't love it
- Dan Petriw

If the reason for sitting them has to do with their play in the past game or two, then I don't see any problem. If it's for seniority reasons, then I'm not thrilled with the decision. The kids need to see real playing time to develop. PMB, Boulton, Carkner, etc are all vets. We know what to expect from them. Am sure Garth/Cappy put a nice spin on it but most people know when they're being B.S.'d.

He should at the very least be in the running for that award. There is zero logic involved with a lot of his decisions. They make little or as in most situations ZERO sense.
- Cptmjl

Lineup decisions are maddening. But credit where it's due, he usually has the team buying into a message and style of play. When they're playing an up-tempo style with a relentless forecheck, that takes a level of commitment that players who have tuned out the coach probably don't have. So, there's that.

By the way, make sure to do a shot every time Butch says "left wing lock" tonight if you want to miss work tomorrow.

Lineup decisions are maddening. But credit where it's due, he usually has the team buying into a message and style of play. When they're playing an up-tempo style with a relentless forecheck, that takes a level of commitment that players who have tuned out the coach probably don't have. So, there's that.
- UIF

Yes, he had the team buy into that for two months last season. Two months of positivity over three seasons is not so good. I will also have my doubts for how much credit goes to Capuano for that? Just seems outside of his scope from everything else we've seen from him.