VANCOUVER – Pay no attention to the avalanche of denials that will surely follow, for Slap Shots has learned from multiple well-placed sources that the problems that have sunk the Islanders begin, if not end, in a locker room fraught with tension between the players and Peter Laviolette.
This may go a long way toward explaining team leader Michael Peca’s all but inexplicable rush to put himself in harm’s way.
We’re told that the honeymoon between the coach and his team actually came to an end during last year’s Toronto series when Laviolette harshly called out a number of his players by name in front of their peers, accusing them of undermining the effort with inexcusably soft play. The team did extend the Maple Leafs to seven games before going down, but the relationship and trust between the now second-year head coach and his athletes has never been the same as it was through last year’s exhilarating ride to the playoffs.
In addition to the baggage from last spring, a substantial number of Islanders have been disgusted this year by what they perceive to be Laviolette’s inexplicable favoritism toward Alexei Yashin that’s interpreted as coddling, and at the expense of core heart-and-soul foot soldiers. It’s led to a split in the room, with an deadly undercurrent of resentment directed at Yashin.
The Islander players have also lost a great deal of confidence in Laviolette and his ability to pull the team out of the disastrous start that is threatening to erase nearly all of the positive vibes from last season. For example, we’ve been told that in Boston on Wednesday night, Laviolette directed his forwards to dine exclusively with their linemates. Table for three, Mr. Bates?
As one Islander fairly snorted: “High School stuff.”
Two of our sources report that Mike Milbury is well aware of the internal strife, which is why he has been so reluctant to pull the trigger on any deals. Apparently unprepared to make the case to ownership for dismissal of the coach who just a year ago was hailed for taking the team to the promised land, Milbury doesn’t want to break up a team he generally likes when the problems will still exist in the morning. It’s a conundrum, all right.
That’s not to suggest that the GM isn’t busy both listening and talking to managers around the league. That Milbury has within the last 10 days touched base with Byron Dafoe’s agent, Bryant McBride, suggests he is at the very least pondering a trade of Rick DiPietro, his most valuable asset. Indeed, the Bruins are known to have long coveted the young goaltender whom Milbury selected first overall in 2000, and who is currently excelling with AHL Bridgeport. Yes, the name of Kyle McLaren has come up prominently. Slap Shots has also learned that Milbury for over a week has had a deal on the table with Edmonton that would send Brad Isbister and Dave Scatchard out west in exchange for Anson Carter.
One year of making the playoffs, three tournament home games following seven years of abject failure and ridicule, and Islander ownership authorized a staggering price increase on tickets for this season. And the loyal fans bought. This year’s shipwreck imperils next year’s ticket sales, make no mistake. The brand name again is in jeopardy. That’s why it’s such a critical problem for the franchise.
That’s why, like it or not, Milbury, his five-year extension in hand, has no other choice but to exercise leadership. Like it or not, he faces hard decisions that cannot be postponed for very much longer.
*
NHL this week conducted a conference call with its referees, instructing them to continue calling off-the-puck obstruction, but to be very careful not to go overboard calling infractions resulting from 1-on-1 battles for pucks in which opponents jostle and fight for position. The league is justifiably concerned that these cheesy calls not only are threatening to eliminate physical play, but also cast doubt on the sincere and laudable effort to open up the ice for its skilled players.
League, too, we’ve learned, will submit the issue of diving to the ad-hoc officiating committee of GMs within the next couple of weeks. Anyone who watches can see that diving has become an epidemic that besmirches the league’s credibility.
Microsoft’s Paul Allen has renewed interest in the Sabres, we’re told. We’ve also been informed that it’s quite possible the NHL will maintain its oversight of the franchise without authorizing a sale if bids for the club continue to be below-market.
The Columbus Saturday Night Mess-acre: That was Bryan Trottier (with a little help from his friends Terry O’Reilly and Jim Schoenfeld) being true to himself. Or would anyone dispute that when things started to go wrong – infrequently as that may have been the case for his dynastic Islanders – he turned mean and dirty? Not that there was anything wrong with that then. Problem is, there is now.
Finally, thug Tie Domi speaking to Sports Illustrated’s recent discovery that the Maple Leafs are filled with whiners and cheap-shot artists: What; he can read?
