New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy was fed up with the play of one of his top forwards in Saturday’s 5-0 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
So much so, in fact, that the line of Mat Barzal, Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair didn’t see a second of ice time in the third period. But it was Barzal who largely drew Roy’s wrath in the aftermath of the one-sided defeat.
The trio of forwards ended the game with matching minus-1 ratings in less than 13 minutes of ice time — well short of their season averages. Specifically for Barzal, though, who entered Saturday’s game as New York’s most-relied-upon forward, averaging 21:02 per contest on the season.
“First of all, I don’t like to do this,” Roy told reporters after the loss. “I’d rather just come here and just coach a game and not worry about those things. But the standard here is to win, and I hope it (sends a message to the team) because I think Barzy’s a leader on this team.
“Unfortunately for Anders, he was on that line, and sometimes you gotta take it for the team. I have nothing negative to say about him.”
The loss dropped the Islanders to 27-19-5 on the season — a mark that has them sitting third in the Metropolitan Division and two points ahead of the chasing Philadelphia Flyers. Roy, however, was more frustrated by the forwards’ lack of attention to detail on the less glamorous side of the pick.
“Backchecking is an important part of our game and our concept,” the Hall of Fame goalie explained. “We talk about it on the road, and it’s my job to make guys accountable. I even said to Barzy when he made that turnover in the first period, and he backchecked hard, I said, ‘That’s fine. That’s exactly what I’m looking for.’
“Mistakes are part of the game, but backchecking doesn’t require talent. It requires will, and that’s what this team is about.”
The Barzal-Lee-Duclair trio was notably on the ice when the Sabres scored with 11.4 ticks remaining on the clock in the second period. Tage Thompson scored on a slow-developing play in which the Islanders’ forwards only came into frame as the puck hit the back of the net.
“It was pretty straightforward,” Barzal said post-game. “Our line in Seattle gave up a few odd-man rushes, and in the last minute of the period (on Saturday), we gave one up, and they scored. Patrick’s just doing what he thinks needs to be done to make us a winning team.”
New York went on from there to allow three more goals in the third period while running just nine forwards.
The Islanders will be back on the ice Monday in a key Metro showdown with the Flyers, where playoff positioning will be on the line. So, Roy will hope his team — and Barzal — respond to Saturday’s third-period benchings with a better performance.