Recently, the New York Islanders called out the ice surface at the Barclays Center for its poor quality following a game in which they narrowly won. Now, following an ugly 5-0 defeat at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, John Tavares is calling out his teammates.
Tavares (1/2): "We went out there and got embarrassed because we didn’t play hard enough….This time of year, that is unacceptable…"
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) April 2, 2016
Tavares (2/2): "… Everyone has to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves how much they want it." #Isles
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) April 2, 2016
Those are some bold, blunt words from the captain of the Isles. Few would disagree with his comments, but you have to wonder how his words will go over with some of the other players on the roster.
Head coach Jack Capuano appears to support Tavares’ statements:
Capuano: "I think that certain guys feel that other guys can pick it up. I don’t think our secondary guys are doing anything to help us win"
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) April 2, 2016
With the Islanders holding a 98.7% chance of making the playoffs (according to Sports Club Stats), these are the types of issues you want to sort out before the drive for the Cup begins. By the same token, is calling out your teammates to the media really the best way to handle the situation? Wouldn’t a private discussion led by Tavares work a bit better without causing the media (and the blog scene such as this one) poking and prodding with articles about how the team is scattered?
There’s still some time left for the Isles to pull together, but it’s troubling seeing the team in this much disarray at this stage of the year.
