New York Islanders: Should Jack Capuano Be Second-Guessed?
Geoff Burke, USATSI

New York sports fans are notorious for their armchair coaching habits. Should Jack Capuano be one of their targets?

In the sports realm, there’s nothing easier than second-guessing a coach’s decision after the game has concluded.

Unfortunately, Jack Capuano made some baffling choices that Twitter picked up on during the game, meaning that their complaints are — for all intents and purposes — justified.

These are moves that caused everybody — from the Kool Aid Drinker to the casual fan — to scratch their heads and ask what the bleeping heck they just watched.

Here are the three moves that had us all shaking our heads in disbelief:

Cal Clutterbuck on the power play?

Cap’n Cal is a solid penalty killer, but since when is the penalty kill the power play?

The lsles’ power play was ineffective, largely due to Capuano’s curious decision to place Clutterbuck on it.

Now that we’re on the topic of this cringeworthy unit, it’s imperative that we ask ourselves another question: where is Ryan Pulock?

Perhaps the idea of two prospects being paired together in Bridgeport is enticing, but it shouldn’t really be. The Isles need Pulock’s services in Brooklyn, and until they call him back up, they’ll be lacking the catalyst they need to pose a threat on the man advantage.

Jason Chimera on the first line?

This is Chimera’s eighteenth season playing professional hockey, and his first playing on a first line.

Listen to that statement: in year eighteen, Capuano decided that Chimera is better serviced as a first liner than a fourth liner.

Now, we understand his rationale: Chimera’s coming off a good offensive season and owns enough explosiveness to make other teams drool. But at the same time, how can one claim that in season nine of the Tavares rebuild, the best the Isles could do is have Jason freaking Chimera on his wing?

Mathew Barzal on the bench?

This one doesn’t make much sense, either.

Did the Isles really call up a top prospect for a nine-game tryout just so that he could sit in the press box?

I’ll give Cappy one thing: dressing Anthony Beauvillier was a gutsy, ballsy move. But it was a rewarding one, because the Quebec native fit right in.

It’s confusing why Capuano wouldn’t give Barzal the chance to do the same.

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.