Mathew Barzal of the Islanders is helped off the ice by a trainer after being hit in the face with a stick against the Flyers during the third period in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on Tuesday in Toronto. Credit: Getty Images/Elsa
Mathew Barzal’s availability for Thursday night’s Game 6 was all but confirmed by the coach.
It just happened to be Flyers coach Alain Vigneault with the most detailed report, not the Islanders’ Barry Trotz.
The Islanders’ top-line center exited after being bloodied near the right eye by Claude Giroux’s inadvertent high stick at 15:13 of the third period in Tuesday night’s 4-3 overtime loss at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.