Barzal still appears when continuing the slide

The New Yorkers continued to slide deep in the Eastern Conference rankings last week, winning just one game against the New Jersey Devils. Two more heavy losses left fans frustrated as the team struggled to turn its season around, a game increasingly elusive. Now with Mathew Barzal, the team’s only pure superstar, out of the lineup for at least another week, they’ll have to dig deep to get back into the playoff conversation. No one came to help. although the rumors continue to get around what general manager Lou Lamoriello might be thinking. Let’s dive in.

Related: NHL Stat Corner (East): Maple Leafs, Canadaiens, Islanders, Flyers

Barzal’s absence is a big deal for the people of the island

There’s not much that the Islanders, or any other team, can do as COVID-19 cuts the path of destruction through the NHL and many professional sports in this week. More and more teams are losing players, and the Islanders are now fighting for a second time, though they’ve been fortunate to contain the outbreak this time around. That leaves the team to figure it out on their own. Their “next man” mentality only works if players step up – a real struggle for the Islanders this season. Players like Anthony Beauvillier, who found himself in the press box last week for a game, has remained inconsistent this season, a change from years past.

Barry Trotz on Beauvillier: “I see Anthony as a veteran player now….still young. You want to get over some of that inconsistency.” #Isles

It’s difficult, and possibly wrong, to pin a team’s slide into obscurity with just one player, but the Islanders have been waiting for Beauvillier to explode for years. Head coach Barry Trotz is right – Beauvillier, 24 – is still young, but as he also mentioned that he is a veteran at this point (he will be). play the 356th game of his career against the Boston Bruins on Thursday and is the seventh-longest player on the current roster). Articles pointed to him for a number of seasons, even here on Hockey writers, as a player who is not only ready for a big season but also a necessary part of this team’s future success.

With Beauvillier’s flat play, along with Kyle Palmieri’s A slow start, young Oliver Wahlstrom’s sublime performance, Josh Bailey’s woeful performance and a defensive streak of mistakes – with or without star defender Ryan Pulock – the team is in dire need of a replacement. position other than Ilya Sorokin. Barzal’s absence underscores the importance of the team’s “all-for-one” mentality, but the point is, they always seem to avoid a post-disaster injury – not the Stanley Cup winning model.

They’ve been lucky the past couple of seasons and the two playoffs have been pretty healthy, so they’ll need to figure out another way if they’re going to get their breather post-season this time around, especially as COVID-19 continues. feed its ugly head.

Islanders Quotebook

Trotz’s Views Beauvillier as a veteran has: “He is a core player for us now. When there are several people involved – not just him – you have to find the next level of your game… not just get into…. There are many things about Anthony that perhaps Anthony also knows. We see it, but he needs to see it. Sometimes you need hard lessons along the way to understand it. I’m a Beau fan. I think he’s on another level for us. He needs to be on another level for us.”

JG Pageau on Austin Czarnik back into the squad: “He’s a great fit for our team. He is a very smart player and works extremely hard. We are so lucky to have him around.”

Zach Parise on COVID protocols: “I think the league is doing the best of it. We want to be healthy and play games. Let’s hope that we, not just in hockey, we can move forward.”

Islanders’ plot

The islanders don’t have much time to turn the season around. Just last week, we discussed what they need to do and the hole only deepens now. However, with the Bruins dealing with their own COVID-19 troubles, Islanders can create some much-needed ground. Boston remains 11 points ahead with just one more game to go against the Islanders, so Thursday’s game could have lasting significance as the season progresses.

Jon Zella is a 30-year-old Long Island native who currently lives in Syracuse, NY. Outside of hockey, he enjoys motorcycles, beer, coffee, and his dog Olive.