Did the NY Islanders go too far in benching Mathew Barzal?

When Mathew Barzal called his absence from Thursday’s lineup against Carolina an “alarm clock issue,” the explanation was simple — and honest. He missed the morning team bus, a clear violation of Mathieu Darche’s punctuality rule. But the punishment — a healthy scratch for one of the franchise’s cornerstone players — felt more severe than the situation demanded.

Yes, culture matters. Both Darche and Patrick Roy have emphasized accountability since taking over, and consistency in discipline is key to credibility. But Barzal, by all accounts, is a model teammate, a leader in the locker room, and had never been late before. For a first-time offender, the Islanders could have — and arguably should have — shown a measure of flexibility.

Without Barzal, the Islanders fell flat in a 6-2 loss to the Hurricanes, forced to ice 11 forwards and seven defensemen after travel issues prevented top prospect Cal Ritchie from joining the team. The absence of their playmaker was felt immediately. "It’s funny, when I was younger, when I was 8-10 years old, if I did something wrong, my dad wouldn’t take away my Xbox or PS4," recalled Barzal. "He wouldn’t let me shoot pucks in the garage."

The stakes for this punishment was higher, but Barzal handled the discipline with grace, calling it “super tough” but understanding the team’s stance. “No hard feelings from both sides,” he said Friday. “It killed me not playing.”

In Tampa, Darche once saw Brayden Point scratched for a similar offense. Sending a message is important, but so is knowing when you don’t have to. For a one-time slip of the alarm clock, a warning — not a benching — might have sent the stronger message.