Staple Q&A: Injury Intrigue, Mind Games and Looking Ahead

On his way down to Ft. Lauderdale, Newsday's Arthur Staple took to Twitter to answer some questions from Islanders fans who were no doubt in a state of shock after the team's loss in Game 4 to the Florida Panthers.

Staple answered these before the news of Ryan Pulock's injury was disclosed, so we tried to stick to more topical ones. But the whole threads can be found here and here.

As always, we thank Arthur for doing this and telling us what he thinks, whether we want to hear it or not.

On injuries

@thereluctantk I don't think anyone's nursing anything big. Just playing poorly.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@cultureoflosing He doesn't seem too hobbled... Think FLA is a bad matchup for him. Fast and big.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@NMiranda_19 Clutterbuck/Martin/Kulemin. But I don't think it's bad enough to excuse the tentative play.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

I'm not the first to wonder if Johnny Boychuk had been nursing something throughout the series. His play has been erratic and some of his decisions with the puck a little suspect. Plus, he's still not on the power play. If he's not hurt and just being outplayed by the younger and bigger Florida forwards, I'm not sure if that's better or worse.

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On the team's mental state

@BonersJams Probably some of both. Depends on the player.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@BarryLI1 the eternal question if they lose this series.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@CallToClaude I do, yes. Last night was shades of G7 last year. Froze a bit in the headlights. Doesn't speak well to the mental fortitude.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@leebobb If they freeze in big games, that ain't coaching. These are pros. Don't need a paint-peeling speech to be ready for the playoffs.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@GoldnDeceivers Players aren't getting it done from the puck drop, 4 games straight. Not sure if that's coaching.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@Bleuchz Same -- they're a tight group, but do they have the mental fortitude to break free of the same issues?

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@jeffbeil Could be. I've been saying for a while they need an ass-kicker in that room.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

We may never know why the Islanders barely showed up for Game 4, despite them inexplicably taking games off during the regular season, too. Staple is our only conduit into the locker room, but even he can't tell what each player is thinking without some sort of telepathic powers. We discussed the "ass kicker" option back during the trade deadline, when the team chose to just add Shane Prince, another young player, rather than a playoff-tested veteran.

It seems like Garth Snow and Jack Capuano want the team's ass kicker to come from within their own ranks. But at this point, it's fair to question if anyone wants to strap on the boots and fill that role.

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On possible changes for the series

@RobGunther Like... Dal Colle? No. This is the group. I don't mind that message -- you say how tight you are, prove it by playing better.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@Bleuchz Cap seems very concerned with 11-10-18 away from the puck. Which is odd, b/c lines 2 and 4 have been getting worked over so badly.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@HaberMetrics5 They're concerned. Know they stole both wins.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@matt_faber17 Forwards have to circle lower, Dmen have to carry the mail a little more. Think 55/2/3 are wiped from defending so much.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@Bleuchz Isles don't have many wings who can spin off the wall well and FLA is swarming the walls. Bad combo so far.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@Islanders1932 I think they've noticed. Then you need the players to make the changes.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

I'm posting this after the Islanders' morning skate and Capuano's pre-game availability, where things got a little weird:

Bernier off with regulars. Quine and Strome doing extra work with scratches. One of em will play.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 22, 2016

Quine comes off before Strome. We'll see what that means later on. Bernier says he's only been told he's a gametime decision.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 22, 2016

We'll see how this all shakes out. It could just be gamesmanship by Capuano to keep either Panthers coach Gerard Gallant or Capuano's own players on their toes.

As I noted on Twitter, neither Quine nor Strome deserve to be scratched while the Bailey-Kulemin-Nelson line and the fourth line are the ones struggling the most. Bernier isn't necessarily an upgrade over any of them, but of all the lines to tinker with, why do it with one of the two that's holding on to the puck more often?

Whoever plays tonight, if they don't show more effort and put more pressure on the Panthers than they did in Game 4, all of this hair-splitting won't mean anything.

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On next year. Already?

@thefredelement If they lose this series, can't see GS giving in to KO's wishes on a long-term deal.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@RobPatch88 Yes, a good chance. Feel terrible for the guy. Hard to see how he's going to continue his career after this.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

Terrible news about Mikhail Grabovski, who doesn't seem like he'll be back any time soon. Let's hope he can get healthy and stronger over the off-season because when he's on the ice for the Islanders, he's a game-changer.

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Potpourri

@KlimbergNHL You're a bad person.

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016

@Bleuchz Conscience Killer, by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

— Arthur Staple (@StapeNewsday) April 21, 2016