When Islanders star Mathew Barzal cross-checked Lightning defenseman Jan Rutta in the face as the second period of Monday’s Game 5 concluded, all focus immediately shifted to his pending Game 6 availability.
Now, Barzal and the Islanders can take a deep breath.
The NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday fined Barzal $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, meaning he will avoid a suspension.
The speedy forward will have his spot atop the Islanders depth chart. The team will need him — down 3-2 in the series, they face a do-or-die Game 6 on Wednesday.
Islanders coach Barry Trotz — who has been tough on Barzal in the past — was “disappointed” in Barzal for digging his team into a deeper hole. However, the franchise center’s teammates sympathized with the context of the situation.
“Emotions are running high out there,” Islanders forward Jordan Eberle said of the incident. “Sometimes things get heated and they escalate. He and the rest of the group will respond with the home crowd behind us.”
Rookie Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves on 26 shots in 44:33 of ice time in Game 5 after starter Semyon Varlamov allowed three goals on 15 shots in the first period.
Trotz confirmed Tuesday that the decision to swap goaltenders wasn’t about Varlamov’s play, but more to send a message to the team.
“You look at the dirty pucks that they were rallying around, there’s not a goalie coach who could tell you or anybody who could say those were bad goals or not,” he said. “Those are sort of fortunate bounces, nothing you can do. That was changing, sending a message to the other guys, [saying] ‘Let’s help this guy out.’
“[Varlamov] has been a backbone, our goaltenders have been. I give a lot of credit to Ilya as well, because he went into a real tough situation, he knew I wasn’t going to pull him no matter what the score rolled up to. He battled through that. He got hurt with a high slapper, I think it was in the second period, and he didn’t want to come out. He said ‘I’m going to battle for the guys.’ ”
Lightning coach Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on Rutta, who missed the entire third period Monday after getting cross-checked by Barzal, or Erik Cernak, who sat out of Game 5 after taking a hard hit into the boards from Matt Martin in Game 4.