EAST MEADOW, NY -- As New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal shared with The Hockey News, there was a "sour "taste" left in the team's mouth after their 7-1 loss on Monday to the Buffalo Sabres ...

Mathew Barzal had a hard time flushing Monday's 7-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. EAST MEADOW, NY -- The three-day holiday break was a chance for players and coaches to mentally reset, spend time with their loved ones, and give their bodies a chance to recover from the rigorous nightly battles on the ice.

The Islanders (12-14-7) might finally be back at full strength, but they can’t afford to price in another few weeks before they actually start playing like it. Stacking points — and doing it right now — is of urgent import to avoid the season slipping away.

But with Mathew Barzal back in the lineup, have they got stronger in that category? View the original article to see embedded media. Barzal is a career 43.6 percent face-off man, so how can the above even be a statement?

The New York Islanders eagerly anticipated the return of stat forward Mathew Barzal. An upper-body injury kept the 27-year-old out of action for over a month, a

Islanders head coach Patrick Roy provided two reasons why Barzal being back at the center is advantageous for the Islanders.

The New York Islanders are hovering near the cellar of the Metropolitan Division with a 14-15-7 record and Patrick Roy’s team is desperately searching for answers.

Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has seen enough of the New York Islanders to know what they’re about. And he knows, even if they’ve largely struggled this season, the Islanders still present a stiff challenge to the Penguins.

The New York Islanders (14-15-7) dug deep and beat the Pittsburgh Penguins (16-16-5) 6-3 on Saturday Night in UBS Arena. Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee scored two goals each, leading New York past the recently hot Penguins.

The top team in the Atlantic Division hits the ice as the Toronto Maple Leafs face the New York Islanders. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with an Islanders-Maple Leafs prediction and pick.

Noah Cates extended his goal-scoring streak to five games, Morgan Frost scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-1 on Saturday. Joel Farabee also scored for the Flyers,