Islanders Lamoriello Takes Heat Off Coaching Staff, ‘Totally On Me’

Amidst the New York Islanders difficult stretch, losers of 10 of their last 12 games with the season seemingly slipping away, general manager Lou Lamoriello addressed the media up in Ottawa.

Lou Lamoriello started the press conference by discussing trades to add to the New York Islanders roster.

“If we can make ourselves better, whether it be yesterday or the day before or today or tomorrow, we will definitely do that,” Lamoriello said. “It’s what the price you have to pay to add. And you have to make sure that whatever you add is not subtracting. And I think if you look throughout the National Hockey League, you see the exact same thing.”

Lamoriellop understands that the lack of moves and, ultimately, the lack of success is on him, and no one else, as he took some heat off Lane Lambert and his coaching staff.

“There’s no excuses because that’s on me, totally on me,” Lamoriello said. “That’s my responsibility to make us the best we possibly can, to make whatever changes we can. It’s not on the coaching staff. That’s not on players, and I take that responsibility. And it’s making it happen.

“And there’s a lot of reasons why sometimes you can and you can’t, and those are decisions you have to make, but I take full responsibility for whatever changes are or not made.”

Per Andrew Gross, Lamoriello had this to stay:

“Our coaching staff has done as good a job as you could possibly ask. I have no reservations there whatsoever.”

With the way the Islanders have been playing, more so the offense, which is averaging just two goals per game over the team’s last 12, Lamoriello was asked if there was a sense of urgency to get a trade done.

“There’s always an urgency. That shouldn’t change,” Lamoriello said. “I think I go back to, if you can make your team better, you make it better.”

“Whether you’re going good or you’re not going good, you have to make it better with what you have available to do, and also what your partner wants to make happen.”

As for the restless fans, discouraged by the lack of moves and success after last year’s failures, Lamoriello understood and acknowledged them.

“Well, first of all, we’ve got a fantastic fan base. I love our fans because they let you know what they like, and they let you know what they don’t like,” Lamoriello said. “And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. That’s what fans are all about. And without fans, none of us are standing here, but they’re passionate, and that’s the first thing I recognized when I came here, and I would never want them to be any different.”

“But, they have to certainly trust in that whatever decisions are made are not for the press or not to make it for the wrong reasons. It has to be made with the right reasons, and you have to take whatever criticism comes.

Lou Lamoriello continued: “Unless you’re in that seat and have the knowledge of what can or can’t be done and why and why not, you can be a Monday morning quarterback at any time, and I think that’s what fans love. Social media has helped that a lot so that you can express what your thoughts are. And I’m sure there’s a lot of general managers out there, and a lot of writers out there, and I respect that, and I welcome that.”

The New York Islanders face the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night at 7 PM ET.