The 30-year-old forward has just one game before he flies almost 4,000 miles to Milan, Italy to represent Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. It will be his first Olympic Games in his career.
“You’ve got to give credit to those guys going to the Olympics,” Barzal said. “These guys leave in four days, for what is probably their biggest hockey moment ever, and they’re out there just competing as hard as anybody.”
Horvat is up to 38 points (23G, 15A) in his 12th NHL season. His 23 tallies lead the Isles despite missing 15 games in the 2025-26 campaign.
A win against the Penguins snapped a two-game losing streak ahead of the Olympic break and was key with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers each notching victories in the tight Metropolitan Division on Tuesday night.