On Tuesday, the fans chanted for Lou Lamoriello to be fired.
On Saturday, they chanted for Lane Lambert to go.
And unlike Tuesday, when the chants came just once from a small pocket of fans, they came this time throughout the third period of an embarrassing 4-1 loss to the Capitals at UBS Arena, the Islanders’ fourth straight defeat.
Though it wasn’t the whole arena, it was a loud enough portion to be heard clearly by the end of the night.
“We have passionate fans,” Lambert said after the game. “I don’t listen to any outside noise, whether it’s good or bad. All we can do is prepare our hockey team the best we possibly can for each and every game and do our jobs.”
Asked whether he felt his message was getting through in the dressing room, Lambert tersely replied, “Yeah I do.”
There is very recent history of a coach turning things around after such chants just over an hour away from UBS Arena, as Devils coach Lindy Ruff went from fans calling for his head early last season to fans chanting “Sorry, Lindy” as he led New Jersey to the playoffs.
But the situation right now, with the Islanders 5-5-3 as they head to Western Canada for the season’s first extended road trip, is not looking good as the team searches for answers.
“It’s on us in this room to have a performance,” Bo Horvat said, when asked about the chants. “Lane’s doing a good job putting the right players out there at the right time. We gotta take ownership ourselves and find a way to get it done.”
Pierre Engvall was back in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for Thursday’s loss in Boston, skating 16:45 with three shots on net while being on the ice for two Washington goals.
Prior to the game, Engvall said that though he would not get into the details of why he was scratched, he believed it was solely about hockey.
Engvall also added that he and Lambert “had a good talk” and are on the same page.
“I think you want to play every game of the season,” he said. “And I felt like I was ready to go. But didn’t play the game. It’s not my decision. So I’m just trying to be as prepared as I can and do my best.”
Lambert switched up the lines late in the game, putting Kyle Palmieri with Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat; Hudson Fasching with Brock Nelson and Engvall; and Simon Holmstrom with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee.
Adam Pelech (lower body) missed his second straight game and third in the past four.
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