Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Lineup shake up coming on Long Island?

New York Islanders v Pittsburgh Penguins

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 27: Kyle Okposo #21 of the New York Islanders handles the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the game at Consol Energy Center on October 27, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Remember all the optimism the Islanders had heading into the season? Just over a month into things, the Islanders are buried at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and after a lazy 4-1 loss to Vancouver last night, coach Jack Capuano has seen just about enough.

Capuano said after last night’s game to Newsday’s Arthur Staple that there are some guys that need to show what they’ve got and that there are guys that are taking it too easy out there. Capuano even capped it off saying, “Once again, we had a few guys take a night off. They may talk a good game to the media, but you’ve got to perform. We can’t have guys continue to feel comfortable they’ll be in our lineup every night.”

Yikes. Sticking out like sore thumbs when you look at the Isles stat sheet are Blake Comeau and Kyle Okposo. Okposo has been dumped down to the third line and he’s got zero goals this season and has looked completely out of place. Comeau, meanwhile, has zero points this season and has more or less just been floating along with his linemates.

With Nino Niederreiter on his way back up to the team, Okposo and Comeau had better worry about the rookie taking his job. The Isles were supposed to be making progress this season, not falling back to square one. While John Tavares and Michael Grabner continue to impress, guys like Comeau and Okposo drag them down.

And here you thought going with a three-headed goalie rotation was going to be their biggest problem.