SEATTLE — The query of when Mat Barzal will return from an upper-body damage continues to be open for now. The query of who he’ll play with upon doing so may be, as effectively.
That’s as a result of the reconstituted high line with Bo Horvat centering Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau has produced some actual outcomes — sufficient that the Islanders may not less than contemplate maintaining the trio collectively long run.
It might imply breaking apart the Horvat-Barzal combo that has been ubiquitous since Horvat was traded to the Islanders on the 2023 All-Star break, however recall Barzal was off to a sluggish begin earlier than getting damage with simply 5 factors in 10 video games.
Coach Patrick Roy, not less than, didn’t deal with a return to the opening-night traces as an computerized when requested after Friday’s observe at Local weather Pledge Enviornment.
“It’s a very good question,” he stated, which meant that there could be no reply forthcoming.
Per Evolving Hockey’s numbers, that are adjusted for rating and venue, the Lee-Horvat-Pageau trio has accounted for a 56.23 % shot share and 52.4 % anticipated targets share whereas outscoring theopposition, 6-3.
The opening-night trio of Barzal, Horvat and Anthony Duclair solely performed 5 video games collectively earlier than Duclair went down with a suspected groin damage, with Barzal quickly to observe, and put up sturdy possession numbers — 51.81 % shot share and 64.73 % anticipated targets share — whereas usually struggling to place the puck within the internet.
Horvat, who has produced seven factors in six video games since Barzal received damage, has appeared to seek out some profit in enjoying with Lee and Pageau, who he described Friday as predictable teammates.
“I think that’s the best word for it. Obviously, Barzy likes to have the puck and cut back, kinda control the play that way,” Horvat advised The Put up. “Just playing that give-and-go game, finding each other down low and keeping it simple. Pager’s gonna cover me if I’m not down low. We’re just gonna kinda go up and down the wings and keep our games as simple as possible. I think that’s what’s been working for us is the predictability of each other out there.”
That has labored to nice impact, with Thursday’s domineering win over the Canucks one of the best instance but of the trio grinding away and biking the puck at will.
“I think we’re making the play that’s in front of us and supporting one another on the ice with close support, a lot of talk,” Lee advised The Put up. “After a while, it starts to become secondhand, second nature, whatever you want to call it. And we have a really good tendency of knowing where each other is, but also when one of your linemates get the puck, what they like to do with it. So you can read off that.”
Barzal, one of many league’s finest puck handlers and most dynamic skaters, is a whole lot of issues. Predictable just isn’t certainly one of them.
It is a query for down the road — Barzal went dwelling early from a highway journey simply over two weeks in the past and it’s a 4-6 week timeline for his return, so there’s loads of time left for these line combos to develop stale — and separating Horvat from Barzal comes with a whole lot of permutations and questions.
Which may not be value doing, even when the present high line stays simply as scorching as it’s now.
Proper now, although, the Islanders are coming into Saturday’s match in opposition to the Kraken on a five-game factors streak and coming off their finest recreation of the season. Which signifies that proper now, it’s one thing to contemplate.
