New York Islanders: Scott Gordon is Fall Guy—For Now

The Islanders fired coach Scott Gordon on Monday.

I only ask one question: what difference is this going to make?

Does Jack Capuano, his replacement, have a magic wand that is going to heal the Islanders' injury problems?

Is he going to make Rick DiPietro regain the ability to stop a puck?

Is he going to make the Islanders a puck-moving, goal-scoring sensation?

I can give you those answers right now: no, no and no.

This may have been the most pointless firing in the history of the NHL. If the Islanders are going to go somewhere this season, it's not because Scott Gordon failed the team and Jack Capuano is the answer.

There is no coach short of some Al Arbour-Scotty Bowman-Dick Irvin-Toe Blake mashed together super-coach that can singlehandedly make players score more goals and play better between the pipes and on defense.

Scott Gordon did nothing wrong. Except maybe set a record for coaching a team with the most man games lost to injury during his tenure.

I am so sick and tired of people saying injuries can't be used as an excuse for poor play.

News flash: when you lose three of your best defensemen, it's going to affect your defense.

When you lose your top winger, it's going to affect your offense.

When Josh Bailey and Blake Comeau suffer injuries and come back and play half as well as they did before they got hurt, it's going to affect your play.

When Rick DiPietro has two hip operations and three knee surgeries, it's going to affect your play.

Yes, injuries are a part of the game—and as long as players get hurt, their absence will affect whatever team they play for negatively.

It would serve me great pleasure for Scott Gordon to leave the Islanders with his dignity intact and become the next Peter Laviolette.

I like Scott Gordon and I think he will be a successful coach in this league if given another opportunity. The only problem for him is that it looks like he is taking the token "assistant to Garth Snow" job.

What happens if the negative trend continues and the Islanders finish at or near the bottom of the NHL again? Does Garth Snow come out unscathed, or does he follow Gordon to the unemployment line?

This reeks of desperation. This stinks of placing blame.

There is no one at fault except fate, or possibly some sort of evil injury fairy cursing the Islanders.

Two weeks ago, the Islanders were 4-1-2 and playing excellent hockey. Now they are at the bottom of the league and looking really bad doing it.

If Scott Gordon is going to be fired for this, then—barring a huge turnaround under Jack Capuano—Garth Snow should be fired also.

Add coaching uncertainty to the list of reasons top free agents will not consider the Islanders as a destination.

If the Islanders bomb out and Capuano joins Gordon as a "special assistant" within the organization, then that creates a coaching search at the end of the season. Another black eye on the team where free agents are concerned.

This firing was pointless, and unless the Islanders are over .500 by New Year's Day, Garth Snow should follow Gordon out the door.

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