Islanders adjusting to life without Mathew Barzal
Simon Holmstrom of the Islanders skates against the Red Wings at UBS Arena on Jan. 27. Credit: Jim McIsaac
SAN JOSE, Calif. — Replacing Mathew Barzal’s skills in the Islanders’ lineup was never going to be possible.
But 12 games since the slick-skating playmaker suffered a suspected knee injury that has left him sidelined on a week-to-week basis, coach Lane Lambert is still searching for the correct right wing to place on Bo Horvat’s top line with Anders Lee.
Simon Holmstrom got another chance at the assignment to start Saturday night as the Islanders concluded a three-game California swing against the Sharks at SAP Center. But it marked the fifth straight game Lambert has begun with somebody new on the top trio. In order: Pierre Engvall, Holmstrom, Josh Bailey, Hudson Fasching and back to Holmstrom.
“For sure,” Horvat said when asked whether it’s an adjustment for him and Lee on a game-by-game basis. “It’s nice to have Anders by me all the time to have that chemistry. When you have somebody coming in and out all the time, you still have to build that chemistry.
“To find the right fit, sometimes it takes some time. Yeah, since Barzy has been out, it’s been tough that way. But other lines have stepped up and scored big goals.”
Engvall was added to Brock Nelson’s second line with Kyle Palmieri for Wednesday’s 6-3 win over the Ducks and that trio combined for four goals and four assists.
Horvat, who entered Saturday with 36 goals and 27 assists in 67 games for a career high 63 points, had gone three games without a point and had just one assist in a seven-game span.
He had two goals and three assists since Barzal was injured.
“The way Bo and I have been playing and working the corners, I think we’ve had a lot of looks that haven’t gone in,” Lee said. “There’s a lot of little things that I like from both of our games. Whoever we’re playing with that night, we’ve had some really good moments. So it’s just sticking with it and figuring it out.”
“I’d be more worried if I wasn’t getting my chances,” Horvat said. “It just doesn’t seem like it wants to go in for me.”
Horvat is contributing elsewhere.
He won 10-of-14 faceoffs against the Ducks and 17-of-24 in a 5-1 loss to the visiting Capitals on March 11.
“For me, it was just falling back on something else,” Horvat said. “Being really good in the faceoff dot. Being good on the penalty kill. Being good defensively. There’s always stuff you can fall back on that you can feel good about your game. When the pucks aren’t going in and you’re not getting those points, as long as you’re winning hockey games, that’s all that matters.”
It’s unclear at this point whether Barzal will be able to return before the regular season ends. He did not join the Islanders in California and Lambert offered no update when asked whether Barzal had resumed skating back in New York.
So the search for a top-line right wing will continue.
“You’re looking for somebody to come into that role and fit into that role and develop some chemistry,” Lambert said. “We’ve tried a few different guys and we’ll continue to work at it.”
Holmstrom entered Saturday with four goals and one assist in 41 games and no points in his last eight. He was a healthy scratch in Tuesday’s 5-2 loss to the Kings.
“It’s a really good opportunity,” Holmstrom said. “It’s one of the top lines and they play a lot of minutes. I’ve been there before. I’m just going to try and play my game and hopefully that will do.”
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.
