New York Islanders name Lane Lambert head coach, replacing Barry Trotz

The New York Islanders have a new head coach.

The Islanders had an associate coach for the past four seasons. Prior to his time with the Islanders, he was an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals.

The announcement comes a week after the Islanders fired Barry Trotz, with president and general manager Lou Lamoriello saying the team needed a new voice.

I had the opportunity to work with Lane over the past four years, which included spending time with him on a one-on-one basis when he served as the interim Head Coach this past season.

The Islanders missed out on the playoffs this year, finishing with 84 points and falling short of the Eastern Conference playoff cut by 16 points. It was the first time in four years that the team did not make the playoffs.

Trotz was the team's coach for four seasons, and he was responsible for the team's 28-21 record in the playoffs. The Islanders lost in the third round of the playoffs in both of the past two seasons.