Mathew Barzal skated with the New York Islanders on Friday morning after taking two maintenance days. Head Coach Patrick Roy explained that with a rare stretch of four days between games, he wanted to give Barzal the extra rest.
"I think he feels right, he feels great," Roy said. "I thought it was smart to give him the proper rest and take advantage of the schedule. For him not skating for those two days, it was the best thing for him in order for him to be fresh."
Barzal leads the Islanders with 56 points (15G, 41A) in his seventh season with the team.
Hudson Fasching, who missed five games with a lower-body injury, skated in practice for the second consecutive day. He has eight points (3G, 5A) through 35 games this season, along with 37 hits and 21 blocked shots.
