New York Islanders: The Decision Where Doug Weight Lost Me

I was generally a Doug Weight supporter for the past year, but his decision to bench one of the New York Islanders best forwards late in the game last night was the last straw.

You know I really thought Doug Weight was different. The New York Islanders ended 2016-2017 on a 24-12-4 run after Weight took over and just missed out on the playoffs. Shortly after the season, the Islanders removed that interim tag.

At the time I applauded the move, he seemed to connect well with the guys, the team played well under him and the Isles were headed in the right direction.

Even for the first two months this year I stood by the decision. The offense was scoring at rates we’ve never seen, the power play improved and yeah the goalies weren’t great but you can’t put that on the coach.

Something you can put on the coach? Being a hypocrite. Doug Weight, and the Islanders organization in general love to put down youth no matter what while giving veterans the benefit of the doubt.

Josh Ho-Sang is somewhere in Connecticut right now as this team is nose-diving to the bottom of the Division. If Garth Snow doesn’t make a trade the least he can do is give Ho-Sang a shot right? Well, since he ran into some turnover issues they’re just going to discredit his 12 points in 22 games, a 45 point pace over a full season mind you because he made some mistakes.

This entire saga is maddening in itself but the worst of it happened last night. Doug Weight didn’t like what he saw from Barzal in the third period so he got one shift after the seven-minute mark of the period. In what world does that make sense?

In the final five minutes and the overtime period against Detroit, Mat Barzal had four points in that span. Trailing by a goal on Sunday you bench that guy because he made this “awful decision.”

So it’s not okay for a 60 point player to make this mistake, but a 38-year old dinosaur who hasn’t scored in 20 games can make this mistake and have no punishment whatsoever?

Jason Chimera has played every single game, given you nothing offensively or defensively, but is still somehow in the lineup every single night. The hypocrisy is maddening!

Next: A Positive Spin On The Isles State

To truly believe taking Mat Barzal out of a game gives you a better chance to win is insane and for that, and the countless other times he’s turned a blind eye to veterans and unfairly punished younger players, I no longer am giving Dougie the benefit of the doubt. So much for that accountability Doug. How about you hold yourself accountable for once.