The NY Islanders may have found something with their new top-line

When the NY Islanders signed Anthony Duclair during the off-season, he was supposed to be the final piece to play alongside Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat. Injuries to Duclair and Barzal early in the season forced Patrick Roy to resort to other plans, none of which succeeded.

After Barzal returned to game action in December 15, Roy kept him on a line separate from Horvat, in an attempt to spread the wealth throughout the lineup. With the Islanders sitting in last place in the Metro Division and seemingly on the brink of their season coming to an early end, Barzal and Horvat have been reunited, with arguably the Islanders' best player this season, Anders Lee, joining them on the top line.

The NY Islanders top line is clicking

In four games together this season, the trio has played 33:28 together, outattempting the opposition 61-28, according to Natural Stat Trick. Not only are they getting the puck toward the net, but they’re capitalizing on their opportunities, scoring four times on 19 shots.

Last night, the Islanders' top line put on a dominant performance, attempting 23 shots while allowing just 7, including a shift during which they kept the puck hemmed in the Columbus zone for nearly three minutes.

The chemistry built between Barzal and Horvat was on full display, as you can see Horvat understanding what Barzal is looking to do while he carries the puck. Once at even strength and once on the man advantage, Barzal was able to put the puck on a tee for Horvat, hammering home both of his goals on the night off one-timers.

Now add Anders Lee to the mix. The ultimate professional and captain of the organization, not to mention the team's leading goal scorer with 20 goals - matching his total from 2023-24.

There’s still a long way to go to crawl out of the hole the Islanders put themselves in, but keeping this line together appears to be a way to kick-start the process.