'Backchecking Doesn't Require Talent' - - Barzal Line Benched For Third Period In Loss To Buffalo
Patrick Roy and Mathew Barzal discuss his line's third-period benching in 5-0 loss to Buffalo Sabres.
ELMONT, NY — With the New York Islanders down 1-0 in the dying seconds of the third, the trio of Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal, and Anthony Duclair failed on a backcheck, resulting in a Tage Thompson goal with 13 seconds to play to give the Buffalo Sabres a 2-0 lead heading into the third:
Those three didn’t play in the final frame, with head coach Patrick Roy electing to bench them.
“It was pretty simple. Backchecking is an important part of our game and our concept, and we talk about it on the road, and it’s my job to make guys accountable,” Roy said. “I even said to Barzy, when he made that turnover in that first period, and he back checked 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 this is what this team is about.”
The Islanders ultimately lost 5-0, with that second Buffalo goal being one of the major turning points of the game.
While backchecking from this line proved costly today, it was an issue that stemmed from the road trip.
“It was pretty straightforward. Our line in Seattle gave up a few odd-man rushes, and then in the last-minute period, we gave one up, and they scored,” Barzal said postgame. “So Patrick’s just doing what he thinks needs to be done to make us a winning team.”
Barzal made it clear that he made the wrong read.
“We don’t want to give up odd-man rushes. I haven’t seen the goal just yet, but it was a loose puck, and I probably should have aired on the side of caution and backed out instead of diving in.”
As for what Roy said in between the second and the third:
“That stays inside the room,” Barzal said. “Like I said, it was pretty straightforward. We were just gonna sit for the period. Yeah, sometimes I think things need to be done or just shown to the room that certain things aren’t going to be tolerated. And think that’s what it was.”
With the Islanders trailing in the third, it wasn’t ideal to sit an entire line, especially a top-six line, but Roy felt like he had to send a message, not just to that line but to the team.
“I don’t like to do this. I’d rather come here and just coach a game and not worry about those things,” Roy said. “But the standard here is to win, and I hope it does [send a message], because I think Barzy is a leader on this team. Unfortunately for Anders. I mean, he was on that line, and sometimes you've got to take one for the team. And I have nothing negative to say about [Lee], but I do believe that if we want to give ourselves a chance to make the playoffs this year, we’re going to have to do those details really well.”
“I didn’t look at it that he’s a captain of the team. He’s part of the line. Anders has been playing hard, and he works hard. He backchecks hard, he does everything well, but that’s their line. And feel like you're playing with your linemate, you stick with your linemate.”
Here’s what Bo Horvat had to say:
“Nobody gets special treatment here. No matter who you are, you’re gonna be held accountable. It just holds everybody accountable. When you see certain guys like that not play, that makes you want to work that much harder to not be in that position. But I mean, again, like it’s not all their fault at all. It’s on us as a team to be a lot better than we were tonight.”
