Islanders' Mathew Barzal dazzles with 49 seconds of 3-on-3 wizardry
Islanders center Mathew Barzal (13) skates for the puck against Dallas Stars defenseman Esa Lindell (23) and center Joe Pavelski (16) during the second period an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Credit: AP/LM Otero
DETROIT — Two days later, Mathew Barzal’s overtime shift was still drawing praise.
Barzal’s 49 seconds on ice skating three-on-three and leading to Bo Horvat’s winning goal in Monday night’s 3-2 victory in Dallas stands as one of the top shifts for any Islander this season.
He was strong on the walls. He transported the puck with speed. He created time and space for Horvat to get open in the slot before finding him with a pinpoint feed.
“Seeing the puck go in from Bo, it felt unreal,” Barzal said after Wednesday’s practice at Little Caesars Arena. “Anytime he’s in that slot, he’s got a good chance. I couldn’t even really take a stride to enjoy the celebration I was so tired.”
Barzal, after jumping over the boards for his second shift of the overtime, brought the puck up ice from the Islanders’ zone on a two-on-one with defenseman Noah Dobson. But Barzal’s attempted feed was kicked toward the right wall by Stars defenseman Esa Lindell.
Barzal followed the puck and muscled it away from Stars rookie Logan Stankoven before skating it behind the crease and getting it to Horvat at center ice for a reset. Barzal eventually wound up with the puck again skating one-on-one against Lindell in the Stars’ zone, circling and getting to the left before finding the cutting Horvat for the winner.
“I wasn’t going to lose the battle,” Barzal said. “I had good position on the kid [Stankoven] so it made it easier. The mentality was just, ‘I messed up the two-on-one, I’m getting this puck back.’ ”
“He was a game changer,” coach Patrick Roy said. “He made a really nice play. Bo read it very well. Three-on-three, you saw it at the All-Star Game, it’s his deal. He’s very good at it.”
Isles files
Goalie Ilya Sorokin is expected to start his third straight game after making 30 saves against the Stars . . . Roy kept the lines and defensive pairings he revamped against the Stars intact for Wednesday’s hourlong practice, meaning Horvat will again center Barzal and Brock Nelson on the top line . . . Forward Hudson Fasching (lower body), eligible to be activated off long-term injured reserve, did not join the team in Detroit and will miss his 11th game.
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.
