Critical Islanders decisions led to striking team unity
NY Post
What’s striking about the Islanders is that they play as one collective unit, one mind with one goal. There’s a unified belief that radiates from the players that they can compete for every puck, on every shift and in every game.
That sort of mentality doesn’t happen overnight. It’s an attitude that’s fostered by team camaraderie, which is something head coach Barry Trotz made a point to instill from the moment he arrived on Long Island three years ago. “It’s identifying the people that will buy in and it starts with your leaders,” Trotz said Sunday before the Islanders traveled to Boston for Game 5. “Probably one of the most important decisions we had to make is when John Tavares left to go to Toronto. Who was going to be the next captain? You had to get that right. I think we did, we did with Anders Lee and guys like Josh Bailey.More Related News
Whenever seasons like the one the Knicks just completed end, I always find myself back outside the visiting locker room at old Mile High Stadium. I always find myself standing with a handful of writers surrounding Bill Parcells maybe half an hour after the Jets lost the AFC Championship game to the Broncos.