Islanders' Mathew Barzal fined $5,000 for slash but avoids suspension
COLUMBUS, OHIO - DECEMBER 28: Linesman Andrew Smith #51 skates Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders to the penalty box after being called for slashing on Mason Marchment #17 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Nationwide Arena on December 28, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) Credit: Getty Images/Jason Mowry
CHICAGO – Mathew Barzal avoided a suspension and will be available when the Islanders face Chicago at United Center on Tuesday night. That ended any hang-wringing awaiting the NHL’s judgment over his two-handed baseball swing of his hockey stick against the Blue Jackets’ Mason Marchment and allowed any further hang-wringing to be more properly focused.
As in, that toothless power play. Sheesh.
The NHL announced on Monday – an off-day for the Islanders after back-to-back games that started a stretch of five matches in eight days – that Barzal had been fined the maximum $5,000 for his retaliatory slash at 1:37 of the second period in Sunday’s 4-2 loss in Columbus after the Islanders thought Marchment kneed No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer.
“It's part of my game to try to get in the other team’s head a little bit,” said Marchment, who also drew a first-period roughing penalty against Schaefer when he slammed the 18-year-old into the boards. “You know, I was never trying to hurt him there in the middle, just get in his way. Probably not smart by me.”
The real punishment for Barzal was not being around to help in the third period after receiving a five-minute major for slashing and a game misconduct, as the Islanders continuously got hemmed in their zone and could not protect a 2-1 lead.
And it meant Barzal was not available for the Islanders’ second and final power play late in the second period that produced just one shot shortly after they took a 2-1 lead. The Islanders’ 0-for-2 against the Blue Jackets was a significant reason – along with their tired legs and what coach Patrick Roy accurately described as a lack of “gas” – as to why they could not earn at least one crucial point.
Then again, Barzal logged 7:33 of power-play ice time the previous day as the Islanders were 0-for-5 with just three man-advantage shots in a 2-0 win that could have been much more comfortable over the Rangers at UBS Arena had they produced skating a man up.
The Islanders are 19-for-123 (15.4%) on the season, ranked 28th among 32 teams.
That they woke up Monday in the very windy and wintry Windy City in close pursuit of the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference leads only begs the question of could they actually be atop the standings with an effective power play?
And will that happen this season?
“I think we’ve just got to get more pucks to the net,” said Schaefer, who plays a significant role in whether that can improve as the first unit’s quarterback. “You know, bounce on rebounds. I think once we get in and we start getting more shots on net and things like that, I think it will start sparking.”
The real shame is that the power play can’t build upon the Islanders’ excellent penalty kill, 4-for-4 against the Blue Jackets while allowing four shots, 3-for-3 against the Rangers while yielding three shots and 91-of-110 (82.7%) on the season, good for ninth in the NHL.
“I thought we did a great job on the penalty kill,” said Bo Horvat, who logged 3:09 on the man advantage and 2:59 of shorthanded time. “Obviously the power play needs to be a little bit better in certain aspects of our game.”
As Schaefer alluded to, it starts with the entries into the offensive zone and he and, to a larger degree, Barzal, have a lot to do with that as the man-up puck carriers.
Once in the zone, the Islanders have to do a better job with puck movement and getting opposing penalty killers moving side to side to create shooting lanes or backdoor one-timers. Too often, the Islanders are playing with the puck on the perimeter while the penalty killers are simply holding their ground, waiting to block shots.
Roy has not tinkered with his units much. Jonathan Drouin subbed in as the first unit’s net-front presence against the Blue Jackets with rookie Cal Ritchie a healthy scratch. And rookie Max Shabanov took Barzal’s spot after his ejection.
Probably the most impactful personnel change Roy could make would be switching Barzal away from Schaefer and Horvat to give more balance to the two units. But Barzal and Schaefer skating together remains intriguing because of the speed each brings.
At least Roy has that option against Chicago with Barzal avoiding a suspension.
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.
