Islanders' Mathew Barzal doing what it takes to be team leader
The Islanders' Mathew Barzal skates during the third period against the Anaheim Ducks at UBS Arena on Dec. 11, 2025. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mathew Barzal has been one of the Islanders’ leading players since his rookie season because of his elite and improvisational skating and playmaking ability.
But there’s a difference between leading and leadership and without top scorer Bo Horvat, the Islanders have needed — and received — a different level from Barzal that goes beyond the scoresheet.
The Islanders entered Tuesday night’s match against the Devils at UBS Arena having lost three straight but Barzal, with a seven-game point streak (two goals, six assists), has been more focused in the offensive zone and effective on the backcheck.
There were raves for his four-shot effort with a goal and an assist in Saturday’s 3-2 five-round shootout loss in Buffalo. Captain Anders Lee, quite familiar with leadership, was impressed.
“It’s a five o’clock game, the turnaround was quick, we got in late,” Lee said of the back-to-back match. “It was going to be a grindy game. We talked pregame and he was committed to that grindy game. We scored a grindy goal. He understood what was going into that game. I think that’s when he excels, when he knows what’s needed of him in those moments whether it’s his puck possession or someone is flying up the ice and he’s got to dump it in. Someone with his caliber, they don’t always love to do that.”
Barzal broke up one scoring chance for the Sabres by skating deep into his zone and using his stick to break up a pass at the net. And he finally reversed the Islanders’ sluggish start by banging in his own rebound at the post to cut the deficit to 2-1 with 22.3 seconds left in the second period.
“Oh my God, the goal that he scored is actually one of the clips we showed the guys because he was in the pocket,” coach Patrick Roy said. “That’s the leadership that Barzy brought in that game because he was dominant. He took charge of the game. And that’s the hockey we want to see him play.”
It’s not always consistent with Barzal as his creativeness in the offensive zone sometimes turns into him holding on to the puck too long as chances wither. But while maybe earlier in his career Barzal sloughed off the importance of playing strong defense, his game has shown an attentiveness to the backcheck.
There’s been no better example this season for Barzal than his winning goal in the Islanders 3-2 overtime victory against the Devils on Nov. 10, part of their 6-1-0 road trip. Barzal started the winning sequence with a backcheck in his own zone, turning that into a transition.
“When you’re playing well defensively and you’re in the proper structure offensively, you’re going to create more offense and you’re going to get some good chances out of those,” Roy said. “I see the effort that he’s putting in and the will that he wants to do it. I feel like he wants to be a leader on this team. He wants to be a difference maker.”
Barzal, 28 and in the third season of an eight-year, $73.2 million deal, entered Tuesday with 10 goals and a team-leading 19 assists in 35 games as he’s recovered from last season’s season-ending knee injury.
“Just trying to get on the board every night,” Barzal said. “Being committed to doing the right things.”
That’s both leading and leadership.
Notes & quotes: Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech each played in their 597th game, matching Kenny Jonsson for the third most in franchise history for defensemen . . . Defenseman Adam Boqvist and forward Max Tsyplakov remained healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
