BUFFALO — On Thursday morning, Matthew Barzal talked about the Islanders’ budding superstar-filled top line, naming Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point as a bar for himself, Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson to aim for. , citing Steven Stamkos’ Lightning Trio. arrival.
“That line is tough, it’s tough to play against,” Barzal said before the Islanders’ 4-0 loss to the Sabers. “They’ve always caused us problems when we play them.”
Barzal, fed up with interviews that veered toward where his line could improve, tired of being viewed in a negative light, and Roy’s changes to the forward group led to the Islanders was quick to point out that he had won six straight games.
Even if the record didn’t make it clear, yes, any improvement is about honing an already working product rather than making it work, so his comparison to the aforementioned Tampa trio The same goes for the numbers on the line.
According to Natural Stat Trick, Point, Kucherov and Stamkos have combined for over 301:57 at 5-on-5 this season. Shooting success rate 50.88, goal success rate 44.74, expected goal rate 48.61, Hayden chance rate 47.41.
Nelson, Horvat, and Barzal combined for 111:27 with a shooting percentage of 55.08, a goal percentage of 69.23, an expected goals percentage of 53.2, and a high chance percentage of 54.55.
However, what unfolded later that night didn’t help the Islanders’ case, as the Islanders’ top line, along with the rest of the offensive line, disappeared for a second straight shutout loss (while , the Lightning trio accounted for a total of five goals and had six assists against the Rangers, but did not play on the line).
Barzal’s pre-game assessment was that his batting line was playing well but probably would have left him a little on the table, and although not for the reasons he would have liked, he ultimately Looked good.
“I don’t think we’ve ever had a game that went the full 60 minutes, probably against San Jose, where we just dominated for the full 60 minutes,” Barzal said. “We’re still growing together little by little. It’s different.
“We have three guys on our line, but I don’t think any of us have ever played on a line with three centermen and one centerman. But we only have three more, but when we have the puck, Nellie… He has to respect Bo when he has the puck and respect him more for being the guy who’s going to the net. He has to get a little closer to the net and let him play the give-and-go game down low. , when me and Beau are playing, Nellie is there. But I think the big picture is solid.”
Matt Martin, who missed Monday’s game against the Kings with a lower-body injury, returned to action and skated in his usual fourth-line spot alongside Kyle McClain and Cal Clutterbuck.
