Isles Day to Day: Barzal Skates with Islanders

Mathew Barzal was back on the ice on Friday morning, skating with his teammates for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury on Feb. 18.
"I felt awesome," Barzal said. "Mentally and physically I felt good."
Head Coach Lane Lambert said the expectation is for Barzal to play Game 1 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday.

Barzal resumed skating on his own on the weekend of April 1-2, but missed the Islanders final 23 games of the regular season. While it was hard to watch from the press box, Barzal credited his teammates for going 14-7-2 and clinching a playoff berth, allowing him to return this season.
"The boys did a heck of a job," Barzal said. "They played inspiring hockey, so I'm just coming back now to jump on the train and continue what these guys have done the last 20 games."

He has 51 points (14G, 37A) in 58 games this season, so his return will add a dynamic piece to the Islanders offense.
"He's a huge part of this team," Bo Horvat said of Barzal. "He's got a tremendous amount of skill and speed and ability to make plays, so that just adds another dimension to our group. We've missed them and we were happy to have them back."
Barzal skated with Horvat and Anders Lee during Friday's practice. Barzal and Horvat appeared to be developing chemistry in their six-and-a-half games together. Barzal had eight points (2G, 6A) over that span, while Horvat had four points (3G, 1A).
"We had some good games before I went out," Barzal said of he and Horvat. "We were finding it and it felt like the chemistry was there. He's been playing well and he's been grinding lately, so I'm just going to come back and just try to be myself and get him the puck in the slot and get Leesy pucks."

Another area Barzal is expected to help is the power play, which converted at a league-low 10.9% after his injury. The Islanders also drew the fewest penalties (55) in the league over that span. While Barzal only drew eight penalties this year, he drew a team-high 23 in the 2021-22 season.
"We talked about entering the zone and I think he can really help us with that," Lambert said. "When he's over on that half wall, he has an ability to make some plays. But certainly the zone entries."

ROMANOV NOT READY FOR GAME 1

Alexander Romanov, who suffered an upper-body injury on April 1, did not skate with the team and will not play in Game 1, per Lambert.
The defenseman skated prior to practice and is considered day-to-day. Whether or not he'll travel to Raleigh with the team remains up in the air. Romanov is second on the team in hits (198) and second in blocks (129).