2 min read • February 28, 2022
Posted in
Islanders’ center Mathew Barzal suffered a lower left leg injury midway through Saturday's loss to the Kings that will keep him out for several key games.
The Kings' Phillip Denault stepped on Barzal's left leg midway through the 2nd period, bending it awkwardly and trapping it between Denault and the boards. The 24-year-old returned to the rink with a little over 5 minutes left in the period, but left again shortly thereafter.
Based on limited video, as the view is obstructed by the boards, the ProHockeyDocs believe Barzal suffered a high ankle sprain that will keep him out for multiple weeks.
This will be the first collection of games Barzal has missed since he was drafted in 2016, having played every game of his career until a short absence due to COVID-19 last December.
The team has listed Barzal as day-to-day with a lower body injury and sat him out of Sunday's game against the Ducks.
Reports have come out of the injury being either an ankle or MCL sprain. This is not abnormal, as high ankle and MCL injuries often come in pairs.
Regardless, this injury will leave the Islanders without their leading scorer for multiple games as they enter into the stretch run of the season.
Barzal leads the team with 37 points, consisting of 12 goals and 25 assists, in 42 games this season, and his absence may spell the end of any hope of a late playoff push.
The Islanders are 20-21-8 this season and have tallied 48 points, good for 6th place in the 8-team Metropolitan Division and 17 points back of the final Wild Card playoff spot.
Veteran defenseman Zdeno Chara also missed Sunday night's with what the team is calling an upper-body injury, only days after the 44-year-old played in his NHL-record 1652nd game as a defenseman.
Written by
