BUFFALO -- Mathew Barzal is headed back to Long Island to meet with New York Islanders doctors after the forward sustained an upper-body injury during a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.
Barzal will not play against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, MSG-B, SNP, SNO, SNE), and there is no timetable for when he might return.
"It [stinks], and it's not ideal," forward Bo Horvat said. "But again, guys have gone down in the past and the other guys have stepped up, and that's going to be the exact same thing going forward. We've got the guys in here to do it, and we have to get it done."
The Islanders (3-5-2) have lost three straight games and are last in the Metropolitan Division. Their 21 goals are the fewest in the NHL.
Barzal has five points (two goals, three assists) in 10 games but he does not have a point during 5-on-5 play.
Regardless of his individual struggles, losing a player of Barzal's ability for any length of time can be difficult.
"It's definitely tough losing him," forward Casey Cizikas said. "But it's next man up. We need everybody pulling together. We need everybody stepping up. And that's the biggest thing now. We have big shoes to fill, and it's a good test for us as a group and how we're going to respond to it."
The loss to the Blue Jackets was the fourth time in their first 10 games the Islanders have been shut out, the first time that's happened in franchise history.
The Islanders also are missing forward Anthony Duclair, who is on long-term injured reserve because of a lower-body injury sustained Oct. 19. He was expected to need 4-6 weeks to recover.
Duclair had three points (two goals, one assist) in five games.
"You don't like to lose those guys. They're important players on your team," Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. "But, hey, this is the reality. I mean, it's the way the NHL has been. A lot of teams are losing quality players, and like I said on Duclair's injury, it's giving opportunities to other guys to play more minutes and maybe play a larger role."
One of them is forward Oliver Wahlstrom, who will re-enter the lineup after being scratched the previous three games. He does not have a point in six games this season.
Wahlstrom will skate on the fourth line with Kyle MacLean and Hudson Fasching, and also see time on the power play. The Islanders also will use a line of Cizikas centering Pierre Engvall and Simon Holmstrom.
"Wahlstrom's going to be on the power play now, so he's getting his opportunity to make his mark," Roy said. "He's been in and out of the lineup. I feel like right now it's his chance for him to show it to me and force me to put him in the lineup. Hopefully the power play will create some spark in his game and help him get to the level that we would love to see him at."
The new-look lines against the Sabres also will see Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau skating on Horvat's line.
Lee has three goals in 10 games, while Pageau has three points (one goal, two assists) in 10 games.
"Pageau and Lee are smart players and they've been playing really well together all year," Horvat said. "So I am just going to try to do my job, win my face-offs, and work hard. Hopefully we have success."
