Doug Weight still seeking answers for Islanders
Islanders head coach Doug Weight leaves the ice after losing to the Blue Jackets at Barclays Center on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2018. Credit: Brad Penner
Coach Doug Weight went with the same lineup on Tuesday night as in the Islanders’ previous game and it led to the same result: a loss.
Will Weight shake things up before Thursday’s home game against the Rangers?
“It’s been five minutes or 10 minutes since the game ended,” Weight said after the Islanders’ 4-1 loss to the Blue Jackets at Barclays Center. “We need to get better and improve. Whether that means doing a couple different things or personnel or whatever, we have to figure it out and have a real exciting, hopefully little more exciting building than it was today from the start on Thursday.”
Asked if the Islanders need to change personnel — a trade or a callup, perhaps — Weight left that in the lap of general manager Garth Snow, whose name was chanted in an unfriendly manner in the waning minutes of the game. (The building sure seemed exciting at that point.)
“That’s not my question to answer,” Weight said.
Weight didn’t take any shots at his team’s effort. But he’s befuddled as to why the players came out flat in a big division game.
“I think a couple guys have hit some lulls,” Weight said. “They’re trying and it’s not working. We need more, for sure.”
Tavares’ 600th
John Tavares’ power-play goal in the first period was the 600th point of his career. It came in his 645th game.
Tavares is sixth on the franchise’s all-time points list, behind Bryan Trottier (1,353), Mike Bossy (1,126), Denis Potvin (1,052), Clark Gillies (663) and Brent Sutter (610). Sutter played in 694 games with the Islanders.
Fritz closer to return
Tanner Fritz, who suffered a lower-body injury on Feb. 3, skated with the team in the morning and is close to returning.
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
