Eyes On Isles
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New York Islanders Power Play Coaching Options for 2019-20

By Michel Anderson

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 10: Assistant coach Scott Gomez of the New York Islanders works the bench during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at NYCB Live at the Nassau Coliseum on December 10, 2018 in Uniondale, New York. The Penguins defeated the Islanders 2-1 in the shootout. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 10: Assistant coach Scott Gomez of the New York Islanders works the bench during the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at NYCB Live at the Nassau Coliseum on December 10, 2018 in Uniondale, New York. The Penguins defeated the Islanders 2-1 in the shootout. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The New York Islanders power play was absolute garbage this season. If Scott Gomez is let go, who should the islanders consider as a replacement?

In 227 power play opportunities, the New York Islanders scored 33 times. That’s a 14.5 percent efficiency on the man advantage. Ranking the team 29th in the NHL. The Islanders power play was incredibly flawed last season. (That’s putting it nicely.)

The man who is largely responsible for the Islanders power play is Assistant Coach Scott Gomez. A simple Twitter search will show how Islanders fans feel about the team’s power play coach.

The Islanders could opt to make a change and let Scott Gomez go. Remember, he wasn’t a Lou Lamoriello, or Barry Trotz hire. Gomez was brought in under Garth Snow and Doug Weight. Gomez was one of the few to stay in his role when Lou set about fixing the coaching department.

If the Islanders opt to make a change in the offseason, there are some interesting candidates out there.

Joe Mullen

He’s the first American-born player to score 500 goals and 1,000 points in the NHL. In terms of his coaching credentials, he was behind the Flyers between 2007 and 2017 and was responsible for the power play and forwards.

In that time the Flyers averaged a 20.5 percent efficiency on the power play. That’s middle of the pack in the NHL. An incredible upgrade for the Islanders who sat at the bottom of the league.

Mullen could be the type of experienced mind the Islanders could use to sort their power play out next season.

Bob Boughner

As the Florida Panthers head coach Boughner had some interesting ideas when it came to the power play. In the 2018-19 pre-season, Boughner ran a five-forward power play. We’ve all seen the four forwards one defenseman set up, but only forwards is some out of the box strategy.

The Islanders could use that type of experimentation to liven up their power play. Their power play this season was predictable, flat, and just lacked any creativity. It also didn’t shoot much, ranking 22nd in the league in terms of shots for on the power play.

He was just relieved of his duties out in Florida as head coach. Rather than go into hiding, getting a job behind an NHL bench could do his career some good. “Out of sight out of mind” after all. And who better to mentor Boughner then Barry Trotz?

Troy Mann

Mann is the head coach of the Belleville Senators, the Ottawa Senators AHL affiliate. He previously spent time as an assistant coach with the Hershey Bears between 2014 and 2018 (Barry Trotz connection).

In one season with the B-Sens and another four with the Bears Mann’s team’s have averaged a 17.76 percent efficiency on the power play.

He’s being linked with NHL vacancies (such as the one for the Senators). If the Sens pass on Mann, he might want to take a page out of current Dallas Stars assistant Todd Nielsen and take an assistant job in the NHL.

Again, just like Boughner, who better to learn the ropes at the NHL level than Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello?

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