Islanders Star Finding Groove Post Injury

Mathew Barzal was at the center of the New York Islanders' 2-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. With less than 1:30 left in regulation, he pounced on a rebound in front of the Utah net and netted it past the goaltender. The goal gave the Isles their third straight victory, bringing them to just one game under .500 through 42 games.

For the Islanders' star center, this was the fifth straight game he's registered a point. It's the best he's looked since returning from injury, and it's coming at the perfect time for both Barzal and his team. Following the victory, he spoke about how crucial each game is in the second half.

"It was a big game, we've been playing good hockey and I thought we deserved this game tonight,” he said. “We know what time of year it is, so it's crunch time, really. It’s kind of make or break for the team, and it looks like we're trending upward."

Perhaps more importantly for Barzal, he's finding his groove after a lengthy recovery from an injury and a few weeks of adjusting to his return to the lineup. He missed two months of action and was limited in his first few games back. He scored just one point in the first four games back, but following the holiday break he's looked much closer to his usual All-Star form.

In the past seven games, Barzal's scored one goal and added six assists for seven points. The Islanders are deploying him much more as he's returned to game shape and he's skated at least 21 shifts and 20+ minutes of ice-time per night over that span.

As the statistics over the past seven games indicate, Barzal has been excelling at setting up his teammates. Playing on a line with Anders Lee and Brock Nelson, the trio is feeding off each other and complimenting one another perfectly. It's led to the team's first three-game winning streak of the 2024-2025 season and within five points of a playoff spot.

While Barzal continues finding his groove, the Islanders are quietly making a second half push. It's becoming a yearly trend at this point for the Isles to make the postseason after starting the year poorly, only to become red-hot down the stretch to earn a postseason berth. The trend will likely continue again in 2025 if Barzal continues being the star player the Islanders need him to be.