New York Islanders head coach Scott Gordon was fired by the organization this morning, following the tenth straight loss for the club. The firing comes as somewhat of a surprise, as Gordon is well respected among other head coaches and general managers in the league and the players. Then again, if he can’t coach his way out of a substantial losing streak, a shake-up is a good way to wake up an apathetic team.
The Islanders organization didn’t exactly give Gordon much to work with, and injuries to several of its key players, including Kyle Okposo and Mark Streit, certainly played a part in the team’s current situation. Gordon will be replaced in the meantime by Jack Capuano, the head coach of their AHL affiliate, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
As often happens following coaching changes, speculation of permanent replacements begins. The Flyers named Peter Laviolette head coach shortly after the firing of former Flyers coach John Stevens, clearly having a back up plan in mind. The Islanders don’t seem to have any such plan in mind, but I’d have to wonder if John Stevens and Michael Therrien (former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach) wouldn’t be on the shortlist.
Stevens is known for being a very technically sound coach as well as having a good handle on younger talent. Following the franchise’s worst year on record, Stevens coached the team to the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals and the first round of the 2009 playoffs. His downfall in Philadelphia was ultimately his lack of accountability for players who were failing to perform on a nightly basis. Stevens is currently an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings.
Therrien coached both the Montreal Canadiens and the Penguins during his career as an NHL coach and had similar success to Stevens in turning a struggling franchise into a competitive juggernaut overnight. Of course, having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin on the team played a hand as well. Therrien’s firing in 2009 came as a result of employing a defensive-heavy coaching style that didn’t cater to his team’s offensive strengths. He lost the players halfway through the season and lost his job in return. Therrien is currently a hockey scout for the Minnesota Wild.
No matter who ends up taking the position, the issues for the Islanders have only just begun to be addressed. It will be interesting to see if the players respond to the change positively or if the downward spiral continues.
Can get a Vancuver Canucks team report also?
Come on guys, put a post about high school football up before this.