With Bo Horvat out, Mathew Barzal back at center on Islanders' top line
Mathew Barzal #13 of the Islanders skates with the puck during the third period against Jaccob Slavin #74 of the Carolina Hurricanes at UBS Arena on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023 in Elmont, New York. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Mathew Barzal was back at center for Tuesday night’s 4-2 loss to the Wild at UBS Arena with top-line pivot Bo Horvat out after blocking a shot with his left ankle in the previous game.
But Barzal said he is looking to play a more aggressive game whether he’s a right wing or at his natural position.
His aggressiveness was again noticeable with four shots in 24:43 just as it was when he had a goal and an assist on four shots in Saturday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the visiting Hurricanes.
“I wanted the puck,” Barzal said. “Sometimes, when you’re on the wing, you can get kind of caught in shifts where maybe the puck doesn’t come to your side of the ice a little bit. I thought last game I did a better job of just demanding it.”
Barzal, who moved to right wing when Horvat was acquired from the Canucks on Jan. 30, is still making the adjustment.
“I thought he played great,” coach Lane Lambert said. “I thought he was moving, creating things. I thought he was dangerous all night long.”
Lambert listed Horvat, who missed his first game as an Islander, as day to day. Oliver Wahlstrom drew in as Barzal’s right wing.
Identity crisis
Lambert was asked if the Islanders were playing to their preferred identity as a defensively sound, hard-forechecking team.
“The consistency of the identity has not been there for me,” Lambert said. “Not yet.”
Isles files
Defenseman Adam Pelech logged 18:45 with two blocked shots after missing one game with a lower-body injury following a hip-to-hip collision with Aliaksei Protas in Thursday’s 3-0 win in Washington … Left wing Pierre Engvall was benched for a shift after his turnover led to Joel Eriksson-Ek’s third-period goal … Rookie defenseman Samuel Bolduc and forward Julien Gauthier were the 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.
More Islanders
