Reaction around the NHL to NY Islanders' Mat Barzal's slash on Mason Marchment

Last night's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets was a hard-fought one for the NY Islanders, playing the second of a back-to-back against a team that had six days off.

Despite blowing a late lead, much of the conversation hasn’t been about the loss, but instead the second period incident regarding Mathew Barzal and Mason Marchment after a knee-on-knee collision with Matthew Schaefer.

Barzal received a five-minute major and game misconduct for slashing Marchment in the foot, but in spite of his actions, there seems to be more support for him than vitriol.

Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy had no reservations coming to the aid of his forward in his post-game press conference. “We’re never going to blame a teammate for going to try to defend a teammate.”

Even off the ice, some of the most respected members of the media have expressed no issue with Barzal protecting the young Islanders phenom.

“I give a lot of credit to Barzal for doing what he did,” Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on his 32 Thoughts podcast this morning. “And the thing about that is, if you have ever been hit on the top of your skate before, you know how much that hurts. Like Barzal knew exactly what he was doing… “He knew it was going to hurt him. He knew it was going to be painful, and he wanted it to be painful.”

Despite being the ringleader who caused all the chaos on the ice, Marchment himself expressed some fault for the incidents that ensued. 

“I’m kind of used to it by now,” Marchment said. “It’s part of my game to try to get in the other teams’ head a little bit. You know, I was never trying to hurt (Schaefer) there in the middle, just get in his way. Probably not smart by me.”

Barzal will not face a suspension, but has been fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety.