Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Three-point effort in loss
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Barzal scored a goal and added two assists, one on the power play, in Tuesday's 5-4 loss to the Devils.
His performance led the Islanders to a 4-2 lead heading into the third period, but the team faded over the final 20 minutes. Barzal has three multi-point efforts over the last seven games, and on the season the 26-year-old is up to six goals and 19 points through 21 contests, including two tallies and six helpers on the power play. It's taken a while, but Barzal appears to be regaining the point-a-game form he hasn't flashed since his rookie season back in 2017-18.
Barzal scored a goal in a 5-4 shootout win over the Flames on Saturday.
Barzal has six points (two goals, four assists) on a four-game point streak, and seven points (two goals, five assists) in his past six games. His 6.8 shooting percentage is well below his career mark of 10.8, so watch for the playmaker's goal total to start to climb as those numbers stabilize. Despite the Isles' recent seven-game losing streak, Barzal appears to have taken an offensive step forward. He has four goals and 11 assists over 17 games this season.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Records two helpers
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Barzal posted two assists and one shot in the Islanders' 4-3 shootout loss to the Kraken on Thursday.
Barzal picked up helpers on goals by Casey Cizikas and Noah Dobson. This performance gives him multiple points in back-to-back games and extends his point streak to three games -- he has five points in that span. On the season, the Canadian forward has three goals and 14 points in 16 games.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Contributes two helpers
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Barzal logged a pair of assists and six shots on goal in Wednesday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Canucks.
Barzal helped out on Brock Nelson's power-play goal in the first period and Bo Horvat's even-strength marker in the second. Through seven games in November, Barzal has posted two goals and four helpers, showing some steady offense in a top-line role. He's at 12 points (five on the power play), 56 shots and a minus-2 rating through 15 appearances this season.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Quietly effective
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Barzal had a goal and an assist in Saturday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.
It was a pretty snipe. Barzal pushed the lead to 3-0 when he took a return pass from Bo Horvat and scored on a nifty backhand-forehand move in tight. This was Barzal's first multi-point game of the season. He has two goals and six assists through 10 contests, which amounts to a 65-point pace. His output may seem quiet, but he's a solid fantasy citizen.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Lone helper not enough
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Barzal registered an assist to complement six shots on goal in Friday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Devils.
This is Barzal's eighth year in the league with all of his service time tied to the Islanders. He's been a dependable contributor for fantasy managers abound, but Barzal has gone against the grain based on an 85-point, Calder Trophy-winning rookie output being his best one to date. Of course, Barzal was bogged down by a lower-body injury last season, and therefore, he didn't get a chance to sync much with then-newcomer Bo Horvat, but now those two are building chemistry on the top line.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Tallies lone goal in win
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Barzal scored a goal on five shots in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over the Coyotes.
Barzal snapped a scoreless tie early in the second period, ripping a slapshot past Karel Vejmelka in the opening seconds of an Islanders' power play. It's the first point of the season for Barzal after he tallied 14 goals and 37 points in 58 games in an injury-shortened 2022-23 campaign. The 26-year-old has opened the year on the Islanders' first line alongside Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom while continuing to work on the top power-play unit.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Nets goal in loss to Carolina
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Barzal scored a goal in the Islanders' 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina in Game 2 on Wednesday.
Barzal provided his first goal and first point of the 2023 playoffs. Although he didn't play from Feb. 20-April 12 because of a lower-body injury, Barzal returned for Game 1 on Monday and logged 21:12 of ice time. He received another 19:06 during Wednesday's contest, and the 25-year-old should continue to serve on the top line and first power-play unit.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Expects to play in Game 1
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Barzal (lower body) is expected to play in the Islanders' playoff opener Monday versus Carolina, Denis Gorman of NHL.com reports.
Barzal declared himself good to go following Friday's practice. He finished second on the Islanders with 51 points and 37 assists despite missing the final 23 games of the regular season. Barzal is projected to play on the top line and first power-play unit.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Skating at practice Friday
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Barzal (lower body) is at practice Friday, according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News.
Barzal missed the final 23 games of the season with the injury. He had 14 goals and 37 assists in 58 games this season, including four tallies and 19 points on the power play. Barzal was skating with Bo Horvat and Anders Lee at practice. Barzal hopes to be in the lineup Monday for Game 1 against the Hurricanes.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: No guarantee for Game 1
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Barzal (lower body) is not guaranteed to return for the Islanders' first playoff game, Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com reports.
Barzal missed the last 23 games of the regular season, but the Islanders clinched a playoff spot Wednesday, so he'll still have something to work his way back to this season. The NHL postseason begins Monday, but Barzal isn't practicing yet, so it remains unclear when he might return.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Out Wednesday
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Barzal (lower body) isn't expected to play Wednesday versus Montreal.
Barzal was on the ice before Wednesday's optional skate, but he hasn't resumed practicing yet. This is the Islanders' regular-season finale, but they have a chance to make the playoffs and if they do, then Barzal might be available for that. He has 14 goals and 51 points in 58 contests in 2022-23.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Will skate on weekend
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Barzal (lower body) will start skating this weekend according to GM Lou Lamoriello.
Barzal has been out of action since Feb. 20. "He will begin skating either today or tomorrow and then whatever the progress is, how long it takes, I couldn't tell you," Lamoriello said Saturday. Barzal has 14 goals and 51 points in 58 games this season. The hope is that he returns to the lineup before the start of the postseason, assuming the Islanders remain in a wild card spot.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Still not skating
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Coach Lane Lambert said Saturday that there is still no timetable for Barzal (lower body) to start skating, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
Barzal has been out of action since Feb. 20, a span of eight games. He has 14 goals and 51 points in 58 games this season. Prior to getting hurt, Barzal had two goals and six assists in seven games skating alongside trade acquisition Bo Horvat.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Remains week-to-week
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Barzal (lower body) is still considered week-to-week, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports.
Barzal has not resumed skating, and there's no firm timeline in place for his return. His absence can be considered indefinite until he returns to practice.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Ruled out indefinitely
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Barzal will be out indefinitely after suffering a lower-body injury against Boston on Saturday.
Barzal's absence will be a huge blow for a team in the midst of a competitive playoff race, especially after shelling out to bring in Bo Horvat ahead of the trade deadline. In those seven games with Horvat on the team, the 25-year-old Barzal was on an offensive tear with two goals and six assists, including a trio of power-play points. With Barzal sidelined, Simon Holmstrom could find himself elevated to a first-line role.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Suffers injury Saturday
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Barzal (undisclosed) was hurt in Saturday's game versus the Bruins, and head coach Lane Lambert had no update on his status following the contest, Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now reports.
Barzal logged just three shifts in the game, though the Islanders haven't provided an official explanation for his absence. He should be considered day-to-day heading into Monday's game versus the Penguins.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Two helpers in Friday's win
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Barzal picked up two assists in Friday's 5-4 win over the Penguins.
He set up both of Anders Lee's tallies on the night. The addition of Bo Horvat to the Islanders' lineup has lit a fire under Barzal, and over the last seven games the 25-year-old has produced three goals and nine points, putting him back on pace for his best season since his 2017-18 rookie breakout.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Three points in loss
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Barzal scored a goal and added two assists in Thursday's 6-5 loss to the Canucks.
One of his assists came on the power play. Barzal has been excellent since moving to the wing to play alongside Bo Horvat. During his four-game point streak, Barzal has three goals and three helpers, and his power-play assist Thursday was his first point with the man advantage since Jan. 3. The 25-year-old is up to 14 tallies, 34 helpers, 128 shots on net, 17 power-play points and a plus-6 rating through 54 contests this season. The window to buy low on Barzal in a trade is running out, especially after a performance like Thursday's.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Sets new career high in GWG
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Barzal scored the game-winning goal in Monday's 2-1 win over the Flyers.
He redirected a Brock Nelson feed past Carter Hart midway through the second period to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead that Semyon Varlamov was able to make hold up. Barzal is more known for his playmaking that his sniping and hasn't reached the 20-goal mark in a season since 2017-18, but the 25-year-old is making his tallies count this season. He's already set a new career high with five game-winners, despite scoring only 13 goals through 52 games.
