NY Islanders’ Mathew Barzal sends blunt message after collapse: “We’re pissed off”

The frustration was clear in Mathew Barzal’s voice.

A day after the New York Islanders were eliminated from playoff contention, Barzal didn’t downplay the disappointment following a late-season collapse. “We’re pissed off in this room,” he said. “It’s a miserable feeling around here.”

The Islanders dropped seven of their final eight games to fall out of the playoff picture, a stretch that left players searching for answers during exit meetings. For Barzal, the message was simple — and direct. “When you don’t make playoffs, you have to improve. You can’t just keep doing the same thing,” he said.

Barzal acknowledged it was difficult to fully process the season so soon after it ended, pointing to both positives and missed opportunities. “The buzzer rang less than 12 hours ago… it’s hard to say,” he said. “You try to look at the positives… we had some emphatic wins at home, and our young guys played great hockey.”

Still, the defining emotion was tied to how the season slipped away. “This feeling that we have… how much it really sucks,” Barzal said. “Hopefully [it] can turn into a positive leading into next year.” He also pointed to inconsistency — particularly on the power play — as an area that must improve. “There’s a ton of talent out there… it’s just finding consistency,” he said.

Despite the disappointment, Barzal emphasized that the mood inside the locker room reflects a group that cares — and one that isn’t satisfied with how things ended. “There’s no sense of satisfaction,” he said. “We really feel it this year.”

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