3 Takeaways: Isles Come Out of Break with 4-1 Win Over Sabres

After being on pause for 10 days, the New York Islanders were more than ready to press play on Thursday night.
The Islanders came out of the extended break with a convincing 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres at UBS Arena.
Mathew Barzal led the way with a three-point game, but the Islanders also got multi-point games from Kieffer Bellows (1G, 1A), Noah Dobson (1G, 1A) and Josh Bailey (2A). Semyon Varlamov turned aside 36 shots for his second-straight win after opening the season 0-5-1.

Former Islander Kyle Okposo scored the Sabres' lone goal - a power-play tally - in the first period, while Malcolm Subban stopped 28-of-32 shots in the loss.
With the win, the Islanders finish December 4-2-4 and extend their home winning streak over the Sabres to 10 games. The win was an important one for the Islanders, who are looking to climb back into the playoff picture and find some rhythm in a season where they've had four lengthy breaks. Getting it on a night where leading goal scorer Brock Nelson, top power-play point producer Oliver Wahlstrom and Anthony Beauvillier were out of the lineup due to COVID-19 protocols added another layer to a good win.
"It's just nice to get back on track right away," Barzal said. "We obviously know we need to have a real strong second half. To get the first one feels good."
Here are three takeaways for the final game of 2021.

BARZAL BRINGS IT IN RETURN:

Mathew Barzal wasn't kidding when he said that he felt energized being back on the ice after exiting COVID-19 protocols.
The Islanders' center was shot out of a cannon on Thursday night, his first game since Dec. 11 sniping the first goal of the game - one of his five first period shots - and playing 7:28, the most of any Islanders forward and second only to Scott Mayfield's 7:40.
Barzal started and finished an Islanders rush on the goal, getting the puck to Noah Dobson as the defenseman rushed the puck up the ice. In the Sabres zone, Josh Bailey fed Barzal, who picked a corner on Malcolm Subban for his sixth goal of the season.
"He can shoot the puck," Head Coach Barry Trotz said of Barzal. "It's really something he's worked on from year one… He's shooting it more and that's what we want. He can shoot it hard and that first goal was an indication."

Barzal finished with a game-high three points (1G, 2A) as he added an assist on Lee's power-play goal to make it 3-1 and on Noah Dobson's goal to make it 4-1. Barzal has now recorded four multipoint affairs in his last six contests. Barzal also had a game-high eight shots on goal, one off his career-high.
"Early on I just wanted to start shooting," Barzal said. "Things had been going good, but I just been moving it and finding guys, so I wanted to make them respect me a little bit out there. Early on you get some shots and you just feel aggressive and I kept it through the full 60 and just need to do that consistently."
Barzal was riding a six-game point streak (1G, 8A) heading into protocol and while his streak doesn't officially continue given that he missed three games, it was a good indication that the team's point leader feels like his old self.

BELLOWS BECKONS WITH STRONG GAME:

Kieffer Bellows finished off 2021 with a bang.
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The 23-year-old scored a highlight-reel goal on Thursday night, wheeling through the neutral zone, around Alex Tuch, pushing back two Sabres d-men before wristing a puck past Malcom Subban.
The goal was a terrific individual effort from Bellows, who netted his third goal of the season, all coming in the past six games.
"I'm feeling confident in my game right now," Bellows said. "I'm feeling good out there, more patient with the puck. Having that extra split second to make choices out there… It comes from my linemates and coaches as well and just everyone on the team supporting each other. I think that's why we came out and got a big win."
While the coast-to-coast roast will generate the most buzz from Bellows' game, the 2016 first-rounder turned in a solid performance all-around on Thursday night. Prior to scoring, Bellows had another strong play in the second period, forcing a turnover at the Islanders blue line, streaking down the left side and putting a heavy shot that seemed to handcuff Subban before trickling wide.
Bellows also had an opportunity to play on the first power play, assuming Oliver Wahlstrom's spot with the winger in COVID-10 protocol. That paid dividends on the Islanders third goal, as Bellows picked up the primary assist on Anders Lee's tally, though Lee needed an individual effort himself to muscle off a Sabres defenseman, collect a rebound and backhand it past Subban.
Trotz said that Bellows has responded to the challenges issued to him of late and he's made a case for more ice time. Bellows played 16:00 on Thursday, his second-highest TOI of the season and more than double from his last game (7:40).
"He's making a case for himself," Trotz said. "Every time that you're in there bank some good cred and when you do, we can't take you out of the lineup. He's doing that. He's playing with some urgency, we need people to step up when other people have been out and he's doing that."

Video: BUF@NYI: Dobson scores in 3rd period

DOBSON DELIVERS DAGGER:

Noah Dobson flexed a few of his offensive muscles on Thursday night, racking up a goal and an assist in the win.
Dobson was instrumental in setting up Barzal's goal in the first period, carrying the puck through the neutral zone and into Buffalo's end before dishing to Josh Bailey. After distributing the puck, Dobson drove to the net, drawing the attention of the Sabres blueliners, freeing up space for both forwards.
"What you're seeing with Noah is he's growing as a player," Trotz said. "On Barzy's goal, he carried the puck, he drove to the net, he executed the play systematically. We'd call that a four-and-three systematic-type of play and he did. That's what you want. He's playing with a lot of poise. He's a real important, young player for us."
In the third period, Dobson delivered the dagger, putting the Islanders up 4-1 with a slapper through Subban at 11:43.
The two-point game was Dobson's first since Jan. 21, 2021, but continued what's been a very productive December for the defenseman. Dobson has eight points (4G, 4A) in 10 games in December, the product of playing with confidence and filling a bigger role with open spots on the blueline.
"With a couple of guys out of the lineup each and every night, you have to step up and I think just starts with playing hard in the d-zone and everything works off of that," Dobson said. "I'm playing with a lot of confidence right now and trying to be responsible defensively and chip in offensively when I can."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders take on the Edmonton Oilers on New Year's Day at 2 p.m.
Till then, wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year.