BARZAL AND HORVAT ON STAKES OF SATURDAY NIGHT’S GAME
Horvat called Thursday’s game a “little bit of a wake-up call” for the Islanders, who found themselves out of a playoff position after allowing a last-second winner to Ottawa.
“It’s a crazy, crazy league, you go from being third in your division to out of the playoffs in one game,” Horvat said. “For us to maybe have a little bit of a wake up call and have a great response tonight.”
Barzal said the Islanders understood the implications and have focused their sights on bouncing back in a high-stakes game in Montreal.
“We weren’t all smiles after that one,” Barzal said of Thursday’s loss. “We knew what it meant, and we woke up yesterday and had a great day, took care of the bodies, and we’ll be ready to go tonight.”
The Islanders (83 points) and Canadiens (84 points) are in the middle of an Eastern Conference logjam that sees six teams separated by one point competing for five playoff spots. Barzal is embracing the challenge and the high-stakes nature of the stretch drive.
“It’s a privilege to be playing at this time of year, playing these games and being right in the fight,” Barzal said. I mean, this is the best time of the year. It gets me excited thinking about it. You grind all year to be in a position like this. And would we have liked to maybe have some cushion? Absolutely, but we are where we are, and it’s so fun being a part of big games.”
