ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Leading into a weekend in which he's being honored as the best player on the Islanders, and one of the best in the NHL, Mat Barzal — on a stage surrounded by fans, under big, bright lights — offered his mea culpa.
Barry Trotz was right to bench him in the third period of the Islanders' 4-2 win against the Rangers on Tuesday, he said during the NHL’s media day, at the Stifel Theatre adjacent to the Enterprise Center. “As a young guy, I know an example needs to be set,” he said. “I was in the wrong.