So Jack Capuano called his team out, and it responded.
Just hours after the Islanders coach delivered a pointed and profane criticism of his team — naming three players he thought “need to pick their s—t up” — they came out and beat the Lightning 5-2 on Monday night at Barclays Center.
Turns out, Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey found out how to pick up their … um, stuff.
“Since I’ve been here, I’ve never singled guys out,” Capuano said after the game. “When I singled them out [Monday] morning, the only reason I singled them out is because I care about them. I care about them as people, and I care about them hockey players. You have to do something to ignite them.”
What Capuano might have done is ignite his Islanders (42-26-9), who now are two points away from securing a playoff spot as they head down to Washington for the second leg of this back-to-back Tuesday night against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals. The Lightning (45-29-5) are in position to be their first-round opponent — and will be without Steven Stamkos and Anton Stralman — but they couldn’t seal the deal on their first chance at locking up a berth.
Instead, the Isles dictated the fast pace from the start and didn’t need too many heroics in the 32 saves made by goalie Thomas Greiss.
“Everyone in this room needs to be better, it’s not just the guys that were singled out,” said Matt Martin, who got a big go-ahead goal at 11:00 of the second to give his team a 2-1 edge. “Everyone in this room got that message. All 12 forwards and six ‘D’ need to be a lot better, and I think tonight was a good start.”
To a small group of assembled media Monday morning, Capuano decided it was time to rip into his guys publicly and got everyone’s attention by calling out not just their production but their work ethic.
“There’s no surprise. We need Stromey to be better. We need Brock to be better. We need Bailey to be better,” Capuano said. “We need guys to be better if we’re going to have any chance at all.”
It only got more pointed.
“You have to compete at a high level, and it’s about accountability,” Capuano said. “It starts from the coaches, but — I’ve said this — if you want to win games, it’s about team and about accountability amongst the guys in the room. And you’re only letting your teammate down if you’re not going to compete at a high level.
“The guys I mentioned earlier need to pick their s—t up and start playing.”
Capuano has been behind the Islanders bench for five-plus seasons now. He never has gone to these lengths to make a point about specific players, and it seems to have worked.
Nelson scored a nifty backhand breakaway at 15:23 of the second, his 26th of the season that gave the Isles a 3-1 lead. Capuano juggled the lines and put Strome back at center, where he was able to find some more open ice. Bailey, moved off John Tavares’ wing, played with a physical edge that had been lacking.
“It is what it is,” Nelson said in response to Capuano’s public criticism, as the 24-year-old is second on team in goals scored after having five in the previous 28 games. “Need to be better, I guess.”
The Isles were staked to a 1-0 lead by rookie defenseman Ryan Pulock’s second of the season, and the lead was extended to 4-1 later in the second with captain Tavares’ 30th of the season on the power play. Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman cut it to 4-2, but the Isles got one from Johnny Boychuk 4:28 into the third to pull away.
“I said what I said. It’s not calling them out trying to embarrass them in any kind of way,” Capuano said. “We need those guys to play better.”
