Casey Cizikas Tells Angry Islanders Fans To ‘Stay Home’
Casey Cizikas is a New York Islanders staple and longtime fan favorite. However, that status has the chance to change dramatically. After the Isles’ 4-1 loss to the Washington Saturday evening–their fourth loss in a row–the locker room was a tough place to be. Many, including myself, have become frustrated with head coach Lane Lambert as the season has gone on.
Fans at UBS Arena started to chant “Fire Lambert” in the third period Saturday when it became clear the game was out of reach. The 32-year-old was not happy to hear that.
“It’s a joke,” Cizikas said, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday. “That kind of stuff ticks me off. It really does. I’ve got no time for those fans. I’ve got no time for them. If they want to be like that, they can stay home.”
Things are now getting ugly on Long Island, and stuff like this only makes it worse. How can a fan favorite turn on the people who have celebrated him for over a decade?
I will be the first to admit I was worried he would leave the Island back in 2021. However, Lou Lamoriello gave him a deserved six-year, $15 million contract. At the time, at least, it was deserved; now, Cizikas, like many others, have regressed well below their value, resulting in a team that’s 5-5-3 and 7th in the Metropolitan Division.
So, where does the blame fall then? The coach or the players? I can tell you from watching that Lambert will throw his lines into the blender as soon as things go wrong. He also has completely lost the defensive structure that Barry Trotz rode to consecutive Conference Finals appearances.
Instead of being as sure of a thing in the third period as possible, they are shaky. They have already blown so many multi-goal leads at the end of games.
We now have to wait and see how Lambert and the players respond. After poor showings at home, they now have a long road trip ahead. Their first opponent? None other than the Edmonton Oilers who have got some problems of their own.
If Lane Lambert scratched Pierre Engvall for a costly turnover against the Wild, then the standard must apply here. Fans pay their hard-earned money to watch the Islanders and expect a lot better than what they’ve seen. The players, especially those as experienced as Cizikas, cannot spit in their faces like this.
I think that firing Lane Lambert makes sense for the New York Islanders. Many fans tend to agree with me. However, Casey Cizikas is not a supporter of that idea.
