If the pick is a lottery we won't lose it.
- keaner17

Right, so being it will be a lottery pick this year, the genius will keep it and next year when it is one too, we won't have it and lose out on the opportunity to grab this once in a generation player, not that we need it. Either way, we are screwed

The Tavares line should never be out there late in the game...
- Isles316

They can lay it all on the players all they want and they deserve plenty of blame, but Cappy's seen this movie enough to know that he can call a time out and settle these guys down. Again, if it happens once or twice, it's chaulked up to a simple mental error. When it happens EVERY GAME, it's in their psyche. The coach needs to IDENTIFY and SOLVE.
- keaner17

YES, and YES

Right, so being it will be a lottery pick this year, the genius will keep it and next year when it is one too, we won't have it and lose out on the opportunity to grab this once in a generation player, not that we need it. Either way, we are screwed
- NYI_since_72

I don't think we'll be in this situation again next year....

I don't think we'll be in this situation again next year....
- keaner17

Do you promise keaner?

Fact is this team played 59 minutes of damn fine hockey tonight save for one awful mental error by Frans. Then, when they sensed things getting hectic, they paniced and willed themselves to lose. This isn't about a bad team not being able to find a way to win, it's about an average team finding ways to lose. It's like the adage of playing not to lose as opposed to playing to win.

Do you promise keaner?
- ses111

Too much talent here. I still say add one top pairing dman, a decent goalie and coach and this team is a solid playoff team.

I don't think we'll be in this situation again next year....
- keaner17

Will you hold me and tell me everything's okay when we are?

Will you hold me and tell me everything's okay when we are?
- potvin05

No... I'll be busy tying my own noose

All i can tell you is this is the same team as last year minus Boyes and Streit. I don't believe for a second their departure is the catalyst for this nor do I believe Moulsons trade is either. However, you take Streit, Strait and Vis out and that's tough to endure. Strait is back and suddenly we're better defensively, but we need Vis too. Unfortunately I don't think he'll be back this year. We're too inexperienced on the blueline

Too much talent here. I still say add one top pairing dman, a decent goalie and coach and this team is a solid playoff team.
- keaner17

The Isles will think Reinhart is the top pairing guy so scratch that off the list. I do think with a good offseason the Isles can rebound. Will they finally be able to get it right?

The Isles will think Reinhart is the top pairing guy so scratch that off the list. I do think with a good offseason the Isles can rebound. Will they finally be able to get it right?
- ses111

We literally have four guys who project to be potential top pairing guys in our system. This is where that order of picking all forwards in Snows first couple of drafts and then all d later hurts. We're stuck in between development periods

No... I'll be busy tying my own noose
- keaner17

(frank) you for being selfish and thinking of yourself

Almost 10 years later, this chant still applies to this group of bums. We (frank)ing suck!

(frank) you for being selfish and thinking of yourself
- potvin05

I don't know how to tie one with two loops

I left my house last night to the isles winning by 2 within 5 minutes to go. I couldnt watch. I knew in my soul that they would blow it. I waited until I knew the game would be over, checked my phone and lowand behold, they blew a two goal lead, at home, with less than 4 minutes to play and then failed in the shootout.

The real question is, why do we think there's any chance of a better or different result? This bulls**t has been going on for years. Same "core" players. Same coaches. Same GM. Same owner. Why expect different results?

Nabby said it best: they don't know how to win. Not the players, not the coaches. The GM and Owner don't seem to care about winning, since they parade out the same crap year in and year out. Face it: last year was an aberration. This year is what this organization is all about now. Been this way for years. Until there are changes from the top down, seasons like this (going o-for-november, 10 plus game losing streaks, repeated blown leads, bottom five finishes) will happen every year.

im at the point where I just don't see any reason to watch anymore. That's the saddest part of all of this.

I left my house last night to the isles winning by 2 within 5 minutes to go. I couldnt watch. I knew in my soul that they would blow it. I waited until I knew the game would be over, checked my phone and lowand behold, they blew a two goal lead, at home, with less than 4 minutes to play and then failed in the shootout.

The real question is, why do we think there's any chance of a better or different result? This bulls**t has been going on for years. Same "core" players. Same coaches. Same GM. Same owner. Why expect different results?

Nabby said it best: they don't know how to win. Not the players, not the coaches. The GM and Owner don't seem to care about winning, since they parade out the same crap year in and year out. Face it: last year was an aberration. This year is what this organization is all about now. Been this way for years. Until there are changes from the top down, seasons like this (going o-for-november, 10 plus game losing streaks, repeated blown leads, bottom five finishes) will happen every year.

im at the point where I just don't see any reason to watch anymore. That's the saddest part of all of this.
- Jethro09

well, I get the frustration that's for sure. That said, this isn't the 'same core' and I don't believe last year was an aberration. I've heard from too many respected hockey minds that this team was on the right track. What I consider this year is a result of not building on last. It's a step back, no doubt, but I do think that just a couple of additions can change our results in an instant. The problem is that the biggest glaring issue IMO doesn't seem to have an end in site, which is this coach.

I understand that Garth moves slow on EVERYTHING, but when you are called one of the brightest up and coming teams in the league and then fall completely flat on your face out of the gate and maintain that failure over the course of nearly half a season, it's stunning to me that management has gone in hiding while allowing an inferior captain to remain at the helm....

We've struck the ice berg, yet the mantra seems to be 'Steady as she goes'

Sitting in the stands last night me and the other 10,000 fans knew the game was over as soon as Nielsen made one of the dumbest plays I have seen in a long time. You could just sense it that everybody knew it was coming just weren't sure how much time would be left Its beyond embarrassing and the fact that nothing will change is even more embarrassing. They are breaking records set by the facking expansion team and yet they think everything is fine. Oh wait they sent Donovan down

well, I get the frustration that's for sure. That said, this isn't the 'same core' and I don't believe last year was an aberration. I've heard from too many respected hockey minds that this team was on the right track. What I consider this year is a result of not building on last. It's a step back, no doubt, but I do think that just a couple of additions can change our results in an instant. The problem is that the biggest glaring issue IMO doesn't seem to have an end in site, which is this coach.

I understand that Garth moves slow on EVERYTHING, but when you are called one of the brightest up and coming teams in the league and then fall completely flat on your face out of the gate and maintain that failure over the course of nearly half a season, it's stunning to me that management has gone in hiding while allowing an inferior captain to remain at the helm....

We've struck the ice berg, yet the mantra seems to be 'Steady as she goes'
- keaner17

It is the same core. JT, Bailey, Grabs, Nielsen, Martin, KO, Hamonic, A-Mac, Nabby. Same guys that Snow wants to build around each year can't collectively figure out what it takes to win games. The coaches suck, I get it. The GM is lost. But eventually, you expect to see the players be able to figure s**t out and hold a f**king lead. Snow didn't blow that game last night. Neither did Cappy. That was all on the players. Frans giveaway. Idiots flailing all over the ice in a desperate attempt to hold a lead. The second line missing chance after chance to score and put the game out of reach.

I think the time has come to blow up this "core", along with changing the coach and GM. I can't see keeping this group together any longer. It's been year after year of failure and no growth (aside from the aberration of last year, which is all you can call it since for years before and a year after this team has been a bottom five team).

Sitting in the stands last night me and the other 10,000 fans knew the game was over as soon as Nielsen made one of the dumbest plays I have seen in a long time. You could just sense it that everybody knew it was coming just weren't sure how much time would be left Its beyond embarrassing and the fact that nothing will change is even more embarrassing. They are breaking records set by the facking expansion team and yet they think everything is fine. Oh wait they sent Donovan down
- Vukota

I have about 8 or 9 games left on my plan and to be honest if I didn't have a 5 yr old son who loves going to the games I would burn the tickets in my fire pit. I honestly would rather see them disappear for good then have them move to BK with wang still involved. This is coming from a 30 year die hard fan. This owner has just about sucked the life out of must die hards and its sad

- potvin05

You need to have other attributes that are borderline elite to excel when youre lacking in size. As of now Hickey hasn't shown any.
- Cptmjl

hickey played a fantastic game yesterday and showed why you DONT need to be huge and physical in order to be an effective defenseman...

neilsen blew it and ness once again blew nuts.

It amazes me that they roll out Hickey, Ness, AMAC and Striat on a regular basis....
- kear20

hickey and strait have been more than serviceable...theyve done their jobs.

And... STILL.. Winless since Nov


XxNYIxX
- XxNYIxX

And this time to a team that's in need of a mash unit. 8 rookies in the lineup for TB last nite and still Isles cant bring home the bacon.

I read earlier in the posting that Strait and DeHaan looked good together? Who were they playing against????

TB was undermanned, on the road and ripe for picking.

Still we cant get two points at home.

Heads should roll and they should roll TODAY. Not just coaches but players also. There are no excuses for this.

It's becoming impossible to root for this bunch of misfits.

It is the same core. JT, Bailey, Grabs, Nielsen, Martin, KO, Hamonic, A-Mac, Nabby. Same guys that Snow wants to build around each year can't collectively figure out what it takes to win games. The coaches suck, I get it. The GM is lost. But eventually, you expect to see the players be able to figure s**t out and hold a f**king lead. Snow didn't blow that game last night. Neither did Cappy. That was all on the players. Frans giveaway. Idiots flailing all over the ice in a desperate attempt to hold a lead. The second line missing chance after chance to score and put the game out of reach.

I think the time has come to blow up this "core", along with changing the coach and GM. I can't see keeping this group together any longer. It's been year after year of failure and no growth (aside from the aberration of last year, which is all you can call it since for years before and a year after this team has been a bottom five team).
- Jethro09

Ah, okay. When you said it's 'been the same for years' I'm interpreting that line to go a bit beyond that group of players. Franky I don't see Nielsen or Amac as part of our core but I suppose since they've been here the last couple of years you could make that arguement. To me, our core is Tavares, Bailey, Okposo, Strome and Hamonic.
Of that group, I'm ready to call it a night on Bailey. The pre draft scouting reports that claimed he lacked the competitive drive to be a consistent forward were clearly right. There's no fire in this kid, no emotion. He has raw skill but clearly doesn't know how to apply it. As for the rest of the group that I identified as the present core, I have no desire to see them broken up. I'd rather we allow kids like Reinhart, Pulock, Mayfield, Pedan, Sundstrom and Lee to be incorporated with them and go from there.

As for the view of management and coaching, I'm on board now. I think Cappy needs to be fired 10 games ago, Snow needs to be on the hotseat and more than anything, it's time for GM and owner to become visible to the public. One may say the 'players' lost last nights game, but the undeniable fact is these types of losses are occuring on a nightly basis, so while the players are failing to use their noggins, the coach needs to be held accountable for allowing these failures to happen consistently.

The teams mental approach in the final 5 minutes of the game is a direct reflection of the coaches inability to have them focusing on the right things. That needs to change first. Then we can assess what further changes need to be done.