New York Islanders head coach Lane Lambert issued an update on his team’s star forward, Mathew Barzal, who has been out since the middle of February with a lower-body injury. As relayed by Newsday’s Andrew Gross, Lambert said that Barzal has not yet resumed skating, indicating that he is still a ways away from making his return to the Islanders’ lineup.
While a 7-2-1 run in their last 10 games has gone a long way to put New York in pole position for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot, the Islanders remain a team below their full capabilities with Barzal out of the lineup. He has faced significant criticism in recent years due to the fact that he has not yet seen his numbers reach the heights they did during his Calder Trophy-winning rookie year. However, Barzal remains the Islanders’ most talented forward and the skater on their roster most capable of taking over a game. He’s scored 51 points in 58 games this season, and his return would give the Islanders a major boost as they look toward a likely first-round matchup where they’ll be a significant underdog.
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