If Islanders are to beat Bruins, their top line needs to answer the call

The Islanders’ putative top line does not have to be perfect – if you’ll pardon the expression – to match its Bruins counterpart for the Islanders to have a chance in the teams’ second-round playoff series.

They are "not built that way" in the hockey vernacular. Rather, they rely on balance and depth among their four lines, which can be a good thing.

Still: It is difficult to imagine the Islanders winning four of the next six games, beginning Monday night in Boston, without getting more from Mathew Barzal and friends than they did in losing Game 1, 5-2.

But don’t believe me. I just type for a living. More important is that Barry Trotz seems to agree, and appears poised to do something about it.

Trotz said on Sunday that he anticipates dressing the same 18 skaters as in Game 1 but is considering changing their deployment. It would be a surprise if that did not include Barzal’s line.

Asked whether the Islanders can win without more from that group, Trotz said, "It’ll be difficult. We have in the past at times, to be quite honest. I don’t know if we can against a very good Boston team.

"We rely on the four lines, and we need at least three lines going and [Saturday] night I didn’t feel like I had three lines that were really on top of their games."

Might that entail an adjustment in approach and/or personnel for Barzal’s line?

"You get on the ice, it doesn’t matter who you play with," Trotz said. "You’ve got to raise your game, and we’ve got some guys that need to raise their game if we’re going to have success against the Boston Bruins."

To review: Trotz suggested a star such as Barzal should be able to produce regardless of his linemates, and also hinted he will change those linemates anyway. Both of which are dead on.

While the Bruins’ "Perfection Line" of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak was totaling 19 shots on goal in Game 1 – including a Pastrnak hat trick – Leo Komarov, Barzal and Jordan Eberle managed three.

Barzal has no goals and three assists in seven playoff games this season.

Much of this is ongoing fallout from Anders Lee’s season-ending knee injury on March 11. It was a huge blow, but injuries happen, and overall, the Islanders have been fortunate in that area.

Now it is time for Trotz to act, having tried several options before settling on Komarov as Barzal’s left wing.

"Uncle Leo" is a great guy to have on one’s team, both in the dressing room and on the ice, but he is not a suitable left wing for the No. 1 line on a Stanley Cup-level team.

There are limited options available to Trotz. He tried Travis Zajac and Kyle Palmieri after they arrived in a late-season trade with the Devils, and they would seem to be the leading contenders.

Zajac is a better faceoff man than Barzal, but he is a natural center. Palmieri provides some scoring punch, but he has worked well on the third line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

For a more interesting, radical jumpstart, Trotz could move up Pageau – also a better faceoff man than Barzal – and let Zajac center Palmieri and Komarov.

Pageau will adjust regardless. Trotz could put me and Sparky the Islanders mascot on Pageau’s wings, and we probably would be good for two goals on Monday.

The Bruins are flying high, led by their top line. The Islanders are down 1-0 and getting little from theirs. It’s not what you want.

Said Trotz, "We won’t be able to win unless we have all four lines helping to keep them contained."

It starts with an urgent call on line 1.

By Neil Best

neil.best@newsday.com@sportswatch

Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.