SEATTLE — The question of when Matt Barzal will return from his upper-body injury remains up in the air for now. There may then be a question of who he plays with as well.
That's because Bo Horvat's reconfigured top line, centered around Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, has produced enough real results for the Islanders to at least consider keeping the trio long-term. It is.
That would mean breaking up the Horvat-Barzal duo that has been prevalent since Horvat was traded to the Islanders at the 2023 All-Star break, but Barzal lagged behind with just five points in 10 games before getting injured. I want you to remember what happened.
At least coach Patrick Roy didn't think a return to action for Opening Day would be automatic, at least when asked after Friday's practice at Climate Pledge Arena.
“That's a very good question,” he said, but that meant the answer wouldn't be forthcoming.
According to Evolving Hockey numbers adjusted for score and venue, the trio of Lee, Horvat and Pageau outscored opponents 6-3 with a 56.23 percent shot share and a 52.4 percent expected goal share. I am.
The opening trio of Barzal, Horvat, and Anthony Duclair played just five games together before Duclair went down with a suspected groin injury, and Barzal soon followed, with a 51.81 percent shot share and a 64.73 expected goal share. He recorded a high percentage of possession. — while struggling to put pucks in the net overall.
Horvat, who has seven points in six games since Barzal was injured, appears to see some benefit from playing with Lee and Pageau, who he described as predictable teammates on Friday.
“I think that's the best word. Obviously, Barzee likes to take the puck and cut back, and that's how he controls the play,” Horvat told the Post. . “We just play a game of give and go, lower each other's level and keep it simple. If I'm not down, the pager will cover me. We'll wing it anyway. We're going to go back and forth and keep the game as simple as possible. I think what's working for us is our predictability.”
It paid off in a big way, and Thursday's domineering win against the Canucks was the best example of this trio running at will and circulating the puck.
“I think we make the plays in front of us and support each other with close support and a lot of conversations on the ice,” Lee told the Post. “After a while, it starts to change, second nature, second nature, whatever you want to call it. And we're not just aware of where each other is, but if one of our linemates gets the puck.” Sometimes I know exactly what I want to do with it, so I can just skip it.”
Barzal is one of the league's best puck handlers, the most dynamic skater, and has a lot of talent. Predictable is not one of them.
This is a question for the future — Barzal came home early from a road trip just over two weeks ago, but the four-to-six week return timeline leaves plenty of time before these line combinations become obsolete. Time remains — and separating Horvat from Barzal involves many permutations and questions.
Even if the current top line remains as hot as it is now, it may not be worth doing.
But for now, the Islanders are coming off their best game of the season, entering Saturday's game against the Kraken on a five-game winning streak. That means there are things to consider at this point.
