New York Islanders Cal The Top Liner (Winners & Losers)

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Nov 1, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano coaches against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the first period at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Loser: Jack Capuano

Jack Capuano has been in the loser column for New York Islanders fans for quite some time now. His line combinations are constantly criticized. His team selections are routinely confusing. And his ice-time allocations are sometimes just unapologetic.

But his inclusion as a loser this week has to do with comments he made after the 6-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The comments I’m referring to are:

Jack doesn’t have the same production he had last year to get the job done. That’s what I’m hearing with those comments. I wan’t to put the “throwing Snow under the bus” narrative aside for a second. Not that I don’t think it doesn’t have merit, but because I want to focus on Capuano and his task as a coach.

Capuano’s job is to get the best out of the players at his disposal. No matter who the players are. With the comments he made, that he lost 134 points in production, he’s saying he doesn’t have the tools to win.

Lets just pause on that. Ladd, Chimera, and to an extent Beauvilier are the faces replacing the loss of Okposo, Nielsen, and Martin. If we assume what each player produced last season is the production they’ll create this season (as Capuano did) then the Isles have an eight point deficit. And that’s giving Beauvillier a 0.50 points per game pace. Like he’s currently on.

If Capuano can’t make this team, not a contender, but at least .500 with a -8 point differential from this years lineup compared to last year’s, he’s got only himself to blame. That differential isn’t substantial enough for him to bemoan the roster that was given to him.