With the score up 4-0 against the New York Rangers, it wasn't a huge deal that Mathew Barzal wasn't hitting the ice in the third period for the New York Islanders. At least not for the first few minutes.
But as the period progressed, Barzal's absence became concerning. By the end of the period, Barzal didn't hit the ice once. He wasn't injured. He didn't take a bad penalty. And it didn't seem like he made a particularly egregious mistake on the ice. So why did he need to be benched?
After the game, MSG's Shannon Hogan asked Barry Trotz why Barzal hadn't hit the ice for the third.