Stuck in last place in the Eastern Conference, the New York Islanders fired coach Jack Capuano on Tuesday, ending one of the longest tenures in the NHL.

General manager Garth Snow named assistant GM/coach Doug Weight as Capuano’s interim replacement in the hopes that a new voice could provide a spark for his struggling team. The Islanders are 17-17-8 and their 42 points are the fewest in the East, leading to Snow making the move for the short and long term.

“Obviously we’re not in a position where we want to be standing wise,” Snow said on a conference call Tuesday. “At the end of the day organizationally I don’t think Jack was probably going to be a coach that we were going to bring back.”

The Islanders went 227-194-64 in seven seasons under Capuano and made three playoff appearances. Last spring, Capuano led them to their first playoff series victory in 23 years.

They’re 8 points back of the final playoff spot this season despite beating the Boston Bruins 4-0 on Monday. Snow said the halfway point of the season played a role in the timing of firing Capuano, who took the fall for New York’s underachieving performance.

“I don’t know that Jack fell short of expectations,” Snow said. “I think when you’re a coach in this league sometimes you’re a victim of different circumstances.”

Snow signed Andrew Ladd to a $38.5 million, seven-year contract in July and the winger has been a disappointment with 12 points in 41 games.