The Islanders had won 3-0, but Mathew Barzal got on the plane home from Washington unhappy.
He felt like he’d played too passively, waiting for the puck to come to him instead of going to get it.
So he resolved not to let that happen again.
“My mindset now is ‘Just go and attack the game,’” he said following Tuesday’s practice. “Set the tone.”
In the eight games since, Barzal has nine points — three goals and six assists — and has started to look more like, well, Mat Barzal.
He is on pace for his highest point total since the 85 he scored as a rookie and leading a forward group that’s been scoring at a high level all season.
“Kinda just turned things around for me. Honestly, I said that’s not gonna happen again [after the Washington game],” he said. “Feel like I’ve been at my best, been committing to little things. Taking pride in stripping pucks and backchecking and whatnot. That channels good offense for me.”
Of course, while Barzal and the Islanders have been scoring at an impressive rate, they have also been allowing goals at a worse one.
Their 5-4 shootout win over the Flames on Saturday was their first since that victory in Washington, so it will take more than the star elevating his level to win the Islanders games.
“Obviously [Ilya] Sorokin and [Semyon Varlamov] are great, two of the best goalies in the league, but if you’re giving up grade-As and backdoor tap-ins — like we know that Sorokin and Varly are gonna make big saves, two-on-ones, they’re gonna make saves that other goalies can’t make,” Barzal said. “But you give freebies and goalies can’t stop them.
“We just gotta limit those chances for sure, cause most chances they’re gonna save but those ones that are backdoors and empty nets kinda hang them out to dry a little bit.”
Matt Martin (upper body) didn’t practice on Tuesday.
Lambert said he has skated on his own and his status for Wednesday’s game is to be determined.
Julien Gauthier practiced and is feeling better after battling an illness during the team’s Western swing.
The Flyers activated defenseman Marc Staal off injured reserve ahead of their Wednesday visit to UBS Arena.
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