NHL

Islanders trying to get back in line

After spending the majority of a press conference following Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the Jets talking about forthcoming changes, the only thing Islanders coach Jack Capuano changed yesterday was the soundtrack to practice.

At the team’s facility in Syosset, instead of marching out four brand new line combinations amongst muted chatter, Capuano chose to blare classic rock from the overhead speakers and dress all his forwards in orange jerseys, as opposed to the four colors that normally differentiate lines.

“Something I’ve done in the past,” Capuano said. “I just figured [yesterday] might be a day where they’d be a little bit down, and I just wanted to get the music on, get them out there, have them call for passes and loosen them up a little bit and have some fun and not hold their sticks as tight as some people think they are.”

Although Capuano’s team has gotten off the slowest offensive start in the 40-year history of the franchise — 18 goals through the first 10 games — they are still managing to produce a lot of scoring opportunities. On Thursday, they tossed 34 shots at Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec, and by Capuano’s count they had 18 scoring chances against the Jets’ eight.

“Can’t read into stats too much,” Capuano said, “but we’re getting our chances and we just have to bear down a little bit more.”

Yesterday’s upbeat tempo wasn’t only about changing the team’s overall attitude, but was also another opportunity for Capuano to evaluate what he has up front, and what combinations might work best going into tonight’s game against the high-powered Capitals at the Coliseum.

“We’re going to change the lines, but I’m not sure yet how set in stone we are with who goes where,” he said. “I just want to think about it a little bit more just to make sure certain guys compliment one another in the roles that they play.”

Pretty much the only line complimenting each other on Thursday was the Blake Comeau-Josh Bailey-Brian Rolston line, with each player registering three shots apiece.

“We had some great chances last game and we’re going to be rewarded for those,” Rolston said yesterday. “We’re going through a little time right now, but we’ve got to bounce out of it. It takes us in here, and we’ve got to stay up. You can’t feel sorry for yourself.

“We’re human beings and you get frustrated when things don’t go your way. That’s life in general. But we’re working hard and we’ve had good opportunities and we’ll be rewarded at some point.”