Mathew Barzal had a hard time flushing Monday's 7-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. EAST MEADOW, NY -- The three-day holiday break was a chance for players and coaches to mentally reset, spend time with their loved ones, and give their bodies a chance to recover from the rigorous nightly battles on the ice.

Barzal notched an assist, five shots on goal, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Penguins. Barzal set up Jean-Gabriel Pageau's opening goal in the first period. The helper was Barzal's second point to go with 18 shots on net and a minus-2 rating over five games since he returned from an upper-body injury.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- As New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal shared with The Hockey News, there was a "sour "taste" left in the team's mouth after their 7-1 loss on Monday to the Buffalo Sabres ...

The Islanders (12-14-7) might finally be back at full strength, but they can’t afford to price in another few weeks before they actually start playing like it. Stacking points — and doing it right now — is of urgent import to avoid the season slipping away.

But with Mathew Barzal back in the lineup, have they got stronger in that category? View the original article to see embedded media. Barzal is a career 43.6 percent face-off man, so how can the above even be a statement?

At first glance, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about the goal Mathew Barzal scored in Toronto Saturday night. There were two minutes and 20 seconds remaining and the Islanders were protecting their two-goal advantage against a Maple Leafs squad that was both desperate and aggressive.

The New York Islanders eagerly anticipated the return of stat forward Mathew Barzal. An upper-body injury kept the 27-year-old out of action for over a month, a

The Islanders are so far out of the playoff conversation that they must sell at the NHL trade deadline. General Manager Lou Lamoriello is not known for selling but this is a no-brainer. With goal-scoring forwards Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri on expiring deals, they should deal both of them.

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has seen enough of the New York Islanders to know what they’re about. And he knows, even if they’ve largely struggled this season, the Islanders still present a stiff challenge to the Penguins.

Islanders head coach Patrick Roy provided two reasons why Barzal being back at the center is advantageous for the Islanders.

The New York Islanders (14-15-7) dug deep and beat the Pittsburgh Penguins (16-16-5) 6-3 on Saturday Night in UBS Arena. Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee scored two goals each, leading New York past the recently hot Penguins.