Ilya Sorokin chat The New York Islanders [https://thn.com/isles] have won a league-leading 55.6 percent of face-offs this season. But with Mathew Barzal back in the lineup, have they got stronger in that category? Barzal is a career 43.6 percent face-off man, so how can the above even be a statement? The 27-year-old's lack of face-off success has hampered his NHL career. That's why, when Bo Horvat arrived, Barzal moved to the wing. But, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy and Barzal have decided that going back to center best suits No. 13's game and the team as a whole. No one is blind to the Barzal face-off issue, as there's a reason Jean-Gabriel Pageau is lining up on Barzal's right. But what if we told you that Barzal has been working hard on face-offs, and it's paid off since he's returned from injury as a centerman? Barzal has only been back in the lineup for three games now, and while the number of face-offs he has taken is slim, he's finding success. He is 9-for-12 so far, which is good for 75 percent. Here's the breakdown: Vs. CHI: 4-for-5: 3-for-3 in NZ, 1-for-1 in DZ, 0-for-1 in NZ Vs. CAR (1-for-3): 1-for-3 in NZ Vs. TOR (4-for-4): 3-for-3 in NZ, 1-for-1 in OZ Right now, Jean-Gabriel Pageau has won 59.9 percent of draws. Bo Horvat is at 58.9 percent. Brock Nelson is at 54.6 percent. Casey Cizikas is at 53.8 percent, while Kyle MacLean is at 50.7 percent. Barzal, after going 9-for-12, is up to 55 percent on the season, lightyears higher than that career-high. If Barzal can just be a consistent 50 percent face-off man, that will be extremely significant because not all teams have the luxury of having six players who can win face-offs at such a high percentage. This also makes Patrick Roy comfortable with Barzal taking a defensive zone face-off after an icing to gain possession and get out of the zone quickly for a change. Face-offs are an extremely underrated part of the game; there’s much more to it than seeing who can be quicker enough to pull the puck back after the ref drops it. The Islanders will look to utilize the possession game more following faceoff wins for the rest of the season, especially now that Barzal has returned to the lineup and has dominated the faceoff category.
