Lou Lamoriello gives Islanders coach Lane Lambert his vote of confidence

OTTAWA — Lou Lamoriello knew the question was coming. After all, he’s shown no hesitancy at times previously in his NHL career to replace a coach when things are not going to his liking.

But the Islanders president/general manager expressed full confidence in first-year coach Lane Lambert on Wednesday, even with the team having fallen out of a playoff spot and losing its sixth straight, a 2-1 defeat to the Senators on Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre. That extended the Islanders’ skid to 1-7-3 skid overall.

“There’s been some inconsistency,” Lamoriello said. “Unfortunately, there’s been individual situations at different times that has caused the inconsistency. The group certainly wants to do well. Our coaching staff has done as good a job as you could possibly ask. I have no reservations there whatsoever.

“I certainly am around enough to see what they’re doing, how they’re preparing and there is nothing that they can do. I think they’re doing the best job you can possibly ask of them. Total confidence. It’s not even a question for me.”

Instead, Lamoriello took the responsibility for the Islanders’ disappointing season. He fired future Hall of Famer Barry Trotz to promote Lambert from associate coach after the Islanders missed the playoffs last season, the first time that’s happened since Lamoriello took over the franchise in 2018. But he made few changes to the roster, believing last season’s struggles were more the result of COVID-19 and its impact on the roster and schedule.

“There’s no excuses because that’s on me. Totally on me,” Lamoriello said. “That’s my responsibility to make us the best we possibly can, to make whatever changes we can. That’s not on the coaching staff, that’s not on the players. And I take that responsibility. It’s making it happen.

“I take full responsibility for whatever changes are or are not made.”

Lambert served as Trotz’s associate coach for four seasons with the Islanders and previously worked on Trotz’s staffs with the Capitals and Predators dating to 2011.

But his long-awaited first chance as an NHL bench boss has been rocky. Injuries have played a part, but the Islanders have struggled defensively and offensively. They have been outscored 36-18 over their last 11 games and their power play is 3-for-59 since Dec. 10.

Lambert does not reveal much publicly, so if he was relieved to get a vote of confidence from his boss, he did not express it. Nor would he disclose the nature of his conversations with Lamoriello on how they plan to turn around the Islanders’ sagging fortunes.

“I would love to share that with you,” Lambert said. “But I don’t think that’s something that can be shared at this particular juncture, what my conversations with Lou are. All I can tell you is we just continue to prepare the team every day for whatever opponent we have.”

The NHL trade deadline is March 3 and one option for Lamoriello, believed to be in the final season of his initial contract with the Islanders, is to finally alter the team’s veteran core of players.

But Lamoriello said he still believes in that group.

“Your goal scorers have to score and, during this drought, our goal scorers were not scoring,” Lamoriello said. “Have I lost the trust and the belief in the team? Absolutely not. I still believe the way I did in the beginning of the summer.”

Lamoriello added he understands the fan base’s frustration with the team’s performance.

“They let you know what they like and they let you know what they don’t like and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that.”