New York Islanders Doug Weight NHL Caliber Coach

The New York Islanders have flourished under new head coach Doug Weight, and it’s not just because of the initial spark of a coaching change.

Last week we debunked the myth that the New York Islanders NEED a top line winger, this week we will tackle the myth that the Islanders need a big name head coach. Doug Weight is doing a fine job, and it’s because he actually knows what he’s doing.

Under Jack Capuano, the Isles would continuously not be able to play a full sixty minutes and the answers after the games were always about not battling hard enough, and easy cop outs like blaming puck luck.

Doug has held his team accountable each and every time after a loss. He actually sounds like he has a clue in the postgame:

He doesn’t just talk the talk either the results speak for themselves. Just look at how the top line has played, the resurgence of Andrew Ladd and Jason Chimera, plus Ryan Strome has seemed to break out of his disastrous slump a bit under Weight.

If you’re a fan of stats, check out this table of the Weight vs Capuano comparison.

CF% has skyrocketed since the switch. Part of the reason for this is because the Isles ditched the dump and chase grind it out method, and elected to focus on possession. It’s clearly making a difference as the team continues to put up great offensive numbers. As we said yesterday the Islanders will have six players with 20+ goals!

More: The Worst Trade Option For The Islanders

The fans aren’t the only ones who are falling in love with the idea of Weight behind the bench.

As appealing as a name could be, you have to remember one thing it’s only a name. So what if there’s a coach out there that’s been there before and has had success. Doug is having success with this team, it’s working for the Isles, hell they’re 12-4-2 since they made the switch with the same exact roster.

This claim isn’t that the Islanders are suddenly a Stanley Cup contender, this is a claim that Doug Weight is a capable NHL coach. It’s a statement that this new voice is not an extension of Capuano’s. There are new fresh ideas being used and the team is actually responding to it in a positive manner. Weight may become the newest commodity.

Next: Islanders Earned This Temporary Playoff Spot

A trade still has to be made before they can become a real threat in the Eastern Conference, but as the Isles sit in the second Wild Card spot just a month after being in last place one thing is for certain; Doug Weight is a good hockey coach.