Barzal Finding His Game The New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] are back on home ice for a season-long seven-game homestand. Having the fans on your side is a clear advantage, as is having the last change. And with the way the Islanders' top line of Anders Lee, Brock Nelson, and Mathew Barzal has played, along with their defensive pairing of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, having last-change is an invaluable tool. But Islanders head coach Patrick Roy is not focused on playing the matchup game, and that's incredibly intriguing. “I don't focus too much on matching lines," Roy said following Tuesday's morning skate. "The reason is very simple. You want your player to have a bit of a flow and some rhythm. When you start matching too much, I think you're losing that. And sometimes it's good to change the matchup, "To me, it's more like a feel. I look at the game in Utah. We pretty much roll our lines, except for power play and penalty kill, obviously. But we rolled our lines, and everybody was involved. Everybody felt into the game. And I think that's what you're looking for." Now, on the road against the Boston Bruins, Vegas Golden Knights, and Utah Hockey Club, the Islanders didn't have the opportunity to play the matchup game because they had first change. So, finding ways to win those games, especially in Vegas, was impressive. And it says a lot about the confidence of a coach to focus on his team and his team only...for now. At some point, and even on Tuesday night against the Ottawa Senators, Roy will likely get his top guys out in critical moments. But to start the game, he's running his lines and letting them dictate the game rather than paying attention to what Travis Green is doing at the other end. "The start of the game, that's the key," Roy said. "Let's have a good start tonight. We've been playing really well on the road. Let's be ready for the first period, and let's have a good first period and build around that." Puck drop is coming your way at 7:30 PM ET.
