Agreed. Clutterbuck has been a waste of space for years. Fasching has been excellent and should not be taken out of the lineup.

Hudson gives them a real kick

100%

Personally I think cal and Bailey should platoon since neither guy can play everyday. They aren’t going to call up Durandeau so this is what I believe the lines should be moving forward without Barzal.

Engvall-Horvat-Holmstrom
Lee-Nelson-Palmieri
Parise-Pageau-Fasching
Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck/Bailey

With these pairs on the blue line

Pelech-Dobson
Romanov-Pulock
Aho-Mayfield

I never said they will call up durnadeU, but it’s what they should do.

The 4th line can’t survive without fasching . Clutter is cooked, Bailey is cooked.

I actually thought Cizikas has looked good as of late. I’m not saying I want to see Clutter or Bailey all that much, but they can both kill penalties and be effective in very limited minutes. I don’t like it anymore than you do, but with Barzal out I don’t think lane will do anything differently than how I laid it out. He’s tried basically everything else already.

This post isn’t what I think they will do, it’s what they should do. Bailey is terrible on the PK, clutter is average at this point in his career, the PK was thriving without him. At 5v5 they are both liabilities.

Cizikas was carried by fasching, that’s why that line looked better. What Lane tried before was working, Bailey and clutter have ruined the chemistry of the team. Clutter has killed the 4th line , Bailey has killed the 1st line.

I actually thought they looked way better last night before the 5 on 3. Cizikas and Pageau moved the puck up ice well and Engvall has been fantastic over the past few games.

The team didn’t struggle as much until they actually got into the offensive zone. They just don’t have enough firepower up front without Barzal and Wally.

Pageau was good, cizikas line ranked as the isles worst line last night.

Lane should’ve kept clutter out of the lineup. Why would he mess with what was working?

Holmstrom hasn’t performed up to his expectations

I would send Koivula down and call Ishakov up. Kid can help the Power Play and help in shoot outs.

I don’t know what you expected of him, i always thought he was going to be a fine bottom 6 player. He’s better than clutter and Bailey at this point - he can at least skate and move the puck

I would rather durandeau right now

I’m not saying I’m disappointed. I meant lane is. Kid has shown flashes at times, and has been a consistent and reliable player in the bottom six.

The isles forwards are so bad (cizikas, clutter, Bailey) that having stability with a guy like Holmstrom who you know is at least an nhl player is a good thing. No reason to take him out

its a coincidence, the islanders just suck

yeah i don't get why iskhakov hasn't gotten a call-up yet. he's leading the AHL in rookie scoring. can't be much worse than what we have going on. he might be more of a top six or bust player as opposed to holmstrom/durandeau who can play a bottom six role, but they've got bailey on the top line, how much worse can it get?

The isles are a mid team, but clutterbuck is one of the worst players in the NHL - they went 11-5 without him in the lineup.

I’m sure Dubas would love to have him next year lol.

i really can't figure out why they extended clutter two years, no one was going to offer him a better deal coming off shoulder surgery and it's too little money to be worth going into LTIR for but an annoying cap detriment on IR

Someone had to be the DJ at the country club

dont think dubas is as dumb as lou, lou hasnt been good since 2012 and thats pushing it

Dubas traded the leafs best defenseman for a late 1st rd pick

he was like the 4th/5th, lou traded the isles best and a top 15 overall d for 2 late 2nds lol

no he was the best. He's going to be a star defenseman in the NHL for a long time and he's only 23 YO. Dubas is pretty much lou 2.0, without the cups

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