New York Islanders: Jack Capuano Has Support of Players, Again
Brad Penner, USATSI

New York Islanders head coach Jack Capuano has once again received the full support of his troops.

Haven’t we seen this script before?

Maligned head coach Jack Capuano received the full support of his players and superiors, again. The skipper’s status is the most contentious issue with fans and management, and the issue is being met with the same sentiments: ‘complete trust.’

“Jack is an excellent coach,” Snow told The Sports Network on Tuesday. “We have good players. I love our coaching staff. In fact, last time I checked, he coached in the World Cup and there were some pretty good coaching staffs.”

The Isles decision-maker has repeatedly drawn the ire of the fanbase during his stint behind the bench. He’s been criticized for failing to develop players, and has been questioned for his line-changes and timeout usage.

Still, the notably player-friendly coach has the support of his guys:

“I think Cappy’s one of the most dedicated guys,” Casey Cizikas said. “[He] spends a lot of time trying to prep us, getting ready for games. It hasn’t been easy right now, but there’s still a lot of games to go in the season. A lot of time for us to turn it around. Everybody plays for everyone. It doesn’t matter who it is. You’re part of this organization. There’s pride in calling yourself an Islander.’’

The captain, John Tavares, agreed:

“He’s been here for a long time, and done a very good job,’’ he said. “We got his back . . . Obviously, it’s reality in pro sports. Whether it’s players or coaches. Changes are made year to year, throughout the season sometimes. I think Cappy and our staff have worked extremely hard to try to find ways to get us going, get to another level . . . For us, go out there and execute it, really that’s here, that’s on us, starting with myself.’’

It’s not surprising, per se, that Cappy’s troops have backed him. After all, it’s a pretty typical thing in the world of modern sports. But to see so many of these guys backing him again speaks volumes about their relationship with Capuano.

Maybe that relationship will translate into goals — and victories.

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Justin Weiss is a staff editor at Elite Sports New York, where he covers the New York Islanders and Brooklyn Cyclones. In 2016, he received a Quill Award for Freelance Journalism. He has written for the Long Island Herald, FanSided and YardBarker.