NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 02: Carl Hagelin #62 of the Pittsburgh Penguins trips up John Tavares #91 of the New York Islanders during the second period at the Barclays Center on April 2, 2016 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

John Tavares blasts the Islanders for a lack of effort

Recently, the New York Islanders called out the ice surface at the Barclays Center for its poor quality following a game in which they narrowly won. Now, following an ugly 5-0 defeat at home to the Pittsburgh Penguins, John Tavares is calling out his teammates.

Those are some bold, blunt words from the captain of the Isles. Few would disagree with his comments, but you have to wonder how his words will go over with some of the other players on the roster.

Head coach Jack Capuano appears to support Tavares’ statements:

With the Islanders holding a 98.7% chance of making the playoffs (according to Sports Club Stats), these are the types of issues you want to sort out before the drive for the Cup begins. By the same token, is calling out your teammates to the media really the best way to handle the situation? Wouldn’t a private discussion led by Tavares work a bit better without causing the media (and the blog scene such as this one) poking and prodding with articles about how the team is scattered?

There’s still some time left for the Isles to pull together, but it’s troubling seeing the team in this much disarray at this stage of the year.

About David Rogers

Editor for The Comeback and Contributing Editor for Awful Announcing. Lover of hockey, soccer and all things pop culture.

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