Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Pockets helper in win

Barzal notched an assist, five shots on goal, two hits and a plus-2 rating in Saturday's 6-3 win over the Penguins.

Barzal set up Jean-Gabriel Pageau's opening goal in the first period. The helper was Barzal's second point to go with 18 shots on net and a minus-2 rating over five games since he returned from an upper-body injury. The 27-year-old primarily worked as a winger last year and early in 2024-25, but he's been back at center since his return, which has yielded mixed results. Barzal has seven points, 41 shots on net, 15 hits and a minus-5 rating across 15 appearances this season -- a repeat of his 80-point effort in 2023-24 is highly unlikely given his six-week absence, and even a point-per-game pace isn't probable.