An equipment change and Mat Barzal have contributed to Anthony Duclair's hot streak with the NY Islanders

Coming off a groin injury that riddled most of his 2024-25 season, Anthony Duclair didn’t get off to the start he’d hoped for in 2025-26 for the NY Islanders. 

Struggling to remain in the lineup every night, Duclair found his way back into Patrick Roy’s good graces in the 9-0 drubbing of the NJ Devils on Jan. 6, recording a hat-trick the game after being a healthy scratch. Since that game, he’s gone on to score seven goals in seven games, including two in Monday's 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

One change Duclair has made in his game is ditching his sticks for those of Casey Cizikas.

“Totally different, curve, everything,” Duclair said after Monday's performance. “I put my stick into the garbage. I’m using Cizikas’ now…One day after practice, I tried it, & my shot felt unbelievable. I was like, ‘Screw it, I’m using it.’”

Whatever is in Cizikas’ stick is certainly working for Duclair, who is leading the NHL in goals over the last two weeks.

Another contributing factor has been playing on a line alongside Mat Barzal. Barzal, playing like a man possessed over the last two months, has been using his agility and puck handling to create time and space, with Duclair being one of the many benefactors. 

Roy, who has been critical of Duclair in the past, has noticed a real change in the 30-year-old's game, rewarding him with more ice time.

“I feel like he’s shooting with a lot of confidence,” Roy said. “He’s positioning well; he scored two on the trip on the power play from the pocket.”

This is the type of player the Islanders hoped for when they gave Duclair a four-year deal in the summer of 2024. He’ll need that magic in Cizikas’ stick to remain, as the Isles are in the midst of a battle with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metro Division.