So far, so very good for Barry Trotz. But now is the time for him to truly earn his Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s Coach of the Year, to earn his salary, to earn the enduring love and respect of Islanders.
After Sunday’s dispiriting 4-1 loss to the Flyers at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum, Trotz finds himself still one victory short of becoming the fourth NHL coach with 800 career victories, and with a team in an ill-timed slump.
The flop against the Flyers dropped them to 1-3 on their homestand — 0-3 in games in which John Tavares was not in the building to provide fans with verbal target practice.