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.
With the NBA at its break, The Post’s hoops writers examine the key questions from the first half and forecast the rest of the season (and offseason). Here’s a look:
Doug Nussmeier hasn’t yet considered a future scenario in which he is coaching Super Bowl 2025 MVP Jalen Hurts between possessions while simultaneously stealing glances at the field to make sure that Hurts’ counterpart is doing everything that he was taught.
MONTREAL — The only guarantee in this 4 Nations Face-off is the hostile atmosphere that will follow Team USA.
TAMPA — When current rotation odd man out Marcus Stroman defiantly states he is a starter 11 times in 10 minutes after arriving for workouts later than all of his pitching Yankees teammates, well, that should just be catnip for your friendly columnist here at this bold tabloid.
The city of Philadelphia rightly showered Saquon Barkley with plenty of brotherly love on Friday, and the former Giants star gave it back to Eagles fans and staffers throughout their championship parade and celebration.
SAN FRANCISCO – A formality was made official Friday night when Carmelo Anthony, arguably the greatest Knick since Patrick Ewing, was named a finalist for the Naismith Hall of Fame.
MONTREAL — There was an absence of the pomp and circumstance that accompanied Wednesday’s Canada-Sweden opener of this 4 Nations Face-Off.
TAMPA — Max Fried and Gerrit Cole are two very different pitchers on the mound but alike in their talent and drive to succeed.
These first five paragraphs will be utilized to praise the Knicks, so if you are among that faction who prefers to ignore all the good that’s transpired over the first 54 games of this season, you have my permission to proceed to paragraph six, no hard feelings, no questions asked.
The Chiefs are giving their star tight end a deadline to inform them of his future plans.
MONTREAL — For Team USA, it was a poor start and a grand Finnish.
Nothing truly will be decided nor accurately measured until the Knicks prove they can defeat the NBA’s most elite teams and advance deeper into the playoffs.
Travis Kelce once yelled in celebration, quoting the Beastie Boys: “You got to fight, for your right, to party.”