fullscreen

eFinder

eFinder

Home › Team performance analysis › Article

Islanders split with assistant in charge of woeful power play in latest coaching shakeup

Nypost · · 316 words · By Andrew Crane
Team performance analysis Coaching Staff Changes
headphones Listen to the eFinder podcast briefing
Generate a natural audio summary of this story
Daily briefing

What to know about Team performance analysis

Peter DeBoer’s staff for his first full season with the Islanders will have another new name.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 1
Topics 2

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Peter DeBoer’s staff for his first full season with the Islanders will have another new name.

Why it matters

Ray Bennett, the longtime NHL assistant who spent last season running their woeful power play, won’t return for the 2026-27 campaign, the team announced, and the Capitals subsequently announced that he’d joined their staff as an assistant.

Common ground

The decision for Bennett to leave the Islanders was mutual, according to The Post’s Ethan Sears, and it marked the second change since the Islanders’ season ended outside of the playoffs — with AHL head coach Rocky Thompson also getting promoted to the NHL…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/05/21/sports/islanders-split-with-assistant-in-charge-of…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 2
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info Single Source 2
schedule Pending 2
report Misleading 1
cancel Disputed 1
verified
Claim 1: “the Capitals subsequently announced that he’d joined their staff as an assistant”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
No evidence in the provided search results mentions Ray Bennett joining the Washington Capitals staff.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 1979 NHL entry draft was the 17th draft for the National Hockey League. It took place on August 9, 1979, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. The NHL teams selected 126 players eligible for e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_NHL_entry_draft
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alex Chiasson ( CHAY-sawn, French pronunciation: [alɛks ʃjasɔ̃], born October 1, 1990) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A forward, he played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Chiasson
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Commanders
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 2: “the second change since the Islanders’ season ended outside of the playoffs — with AHL head coach Rocky Thompson also getting promoted to the NHL staff earlier this month after one year running Bridgeport”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that Rocky Thompson, the head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders (AHL), was promoted to the New York Islanders NHL staff as an assistant coach.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bridgeport, Connecticut is a major city of Connecticut located on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Pequonnock River.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Bridgeport,_Conne…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Rocky Lee Thompson (born August 8, 1977) is a Canadian former ice hockey right wing, who currently serves as the head coach of the Bridgeport Islanders of the American Hockey League. He was most recen…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Thompson
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York metropolitan area is one of only two in the United States with more than one team in each of the "Big Four" major professional sports leagues, along with two in Major League Soccer. New Y…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_in_the_New_York_metropo…
+ 3 more evidence sources
check_circle
Claim 3: “arrived last year as an addition to Patrick Roy’s staff after a stint with the Avalanche running their power play”
CORROBORATED
Evidence confirms Ray Bennett joined the Islanders' staff under head coach Patrick Roy after spending eight seasons as an assistant with the Colorado Avalanche, where he was responsible for the power play.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorado_Avalanche
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Below is a list of various national team ice hockey team rosters of Canada. The men's team, women's team and the junior team are included.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Canadian_national_ice_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey Le…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bourque
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 4: “Matthew Schaefer, who won the Calder Trophy as the league’s rookie of the year, led the Islanders with eight power-play goals”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
While one source mentions Matthew Schaefer as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, there is no evidence confirming he won the trophy or scored eight power-play goals.
verified
Claim 5: “Bennett, who also spent time as an assistant with the Blues and Kings”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and multiple web sources explicitly state that Ray Bennett served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Kings (1999-2006) and the St. Louis Blues (2007-2017).
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ray Bennett (born May 17, 1962) is a Canadian ice hockey coach. He served as an assistant coach in the National Hockey League with the Los Angeles Kings from 1999 to 2006 and the St. Louis Blues from …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Bennett
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a complete list of ice hockey players who were drafted in the National Hockey League Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues franchise. It includes every player who was drafted, regardless of wheth…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_St._Louis_Blues_draft_…
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — This is a list of players who have played at least one game for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1967–68 to present.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_St._Louis_Blues_player…
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 6: “That, somehow, marked an improvement from their 12.5 percent rate from 2024-25”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found regarding the Islanders' power play percentage for the 2024-25 season.
info
Claim 7: “that percentage worsened to just 2-for-18 across their final six games”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence does not contain specific power play conversion statistics for the final six games of the season.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — New York Islanders to Select 13th Overall at the 2026 NHL Draft. Trending. WATCH: On The Island Episode 5. This Day in Isles History: May 7. Danny Nelson to Represent Team USA at the 2026 IIHF World C…
https://www.nhl.com/islanders/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Game Play Destiny 2 New Light: The Ultimate Guide to Playing Free.
https://www.lifewire.com/game-play-and-streaming-4781449
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Visit ESPN for New York Islanders live scores, video highlights, and latest news. Find standings and the full 2025-26 season schedule.
https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/_/name/nyi/new-york-islanders
report
Claim 8: “the Islanders’ unit kept struggling and finished with the third-worst unit in the NHL during the regular season at 16.5 percent”
MISLEADING
While one source confirms the Islanders finished as the third-worst team on the power play, it cites a conversion rate of 15.8%, not 16.5%.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Základná časť a play-off na hockeydb.com.
https://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/nhl19271…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Islanders finished the regular season as the third-worst team on the power play, converting just 15.8% of their chances, ahead of only the Philadelphia Flyers and Anaheim Ducks, two teams that hav…
https://eyesonisles.com/posts/ny-islanders-power-play-we-hav…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nF--MUGvTcs
schedule
Claim 9: “DeBoer, who coached the final four games after Patrick Roy’s firing”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
cancel
Claim 10: “Ray Bennett, the longtime NHL assistant who spent last season running their woeful power play, won’t return for the 2026-27 campaign, the team announced”
DISPUTED
The claim states the New York Islanders announced Ray Bennett won't return. However, the evidence shows that Ray Bennett was an assistant coach for the Colorado Avalanche, and it was the Colorado Avalanche who announced he would not return. Furthermore, other evidence shows Bennett actually joined the Islanders' staff under Patrick Roy, contradicting the idea that he was leaving the Islanders.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Raymond Vincent Ferraro (born August 23, 1964) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current broadcaster for ESPN/ABC and select Vancouver Canucks games on CBC Sports/Sportsnet. He p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Ferraro
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Islanders (colloquially known as the Isles) are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. The Islanders compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_Islanders
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Elmont, New York. They are members of the Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League's (NHL) Eastern Conference. The Islande…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_York_Islanders_pla…
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 11: “Bo Horvat added seven”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 12: “Over the final 12 games of the regular season... they converted just five of their 34-man advantage opportunities”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence does not contain specific game-by-game power play conversion statistics for the final 12 games of the season.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Comprehensive up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by Google News.
https://news.google.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — View the latest news and breaking news today for U.S., world, weather, entertainment, politics and health at CNN.com.
https://www.cnn.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — NPR news, audio, and podcasts. Coverage of breaking stories, national and world news, politics, business, science, technology, and extended coverage of major national and world events.
https://www.npr.org/sections/news/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.