Islanders' Mat Barzal In Very Hot Water After Being Caught Disrespecting Islanders Fans On Camera
Mat Barzal of the Islanders will likely have some explaining to do after a camera caught him on the bench possibly bashing his fans in the arena.
The New York Islanders defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 last night at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY, snapping Columbus's seven-game point streak.
For the Islanders, Mat Barzal and Bo Horvat paced the team, each recording two points and creating chances all game. The Islanders' star center, Barzal, turned in one of his better performances of the season, filled with skill and will.
But despite the triumph, the Islanders are still in a desperate state of affairs. They sit last in the NHL's Metropolitan Division.
Every game moving forward feels like a must-win, but the bigger question remains: does Long Island care about this team anymore, and based on last night's attendance, most likely not.
Attendance figures paint a bleaker picture. The Islanders are 28th in the league, averaging 15,810 fans per game.
Only Anaheim, Winnipeg, San Jose, and Utah rank lower. Worse yet, the Islanders have suffered one of the sharpest attendance dips in the NHL this season.
The atmosphere that has created itself in UBS Arena has grown noticeably flat, and Monday night's matchup against the Blue Jackets proved no different.
Mat Barzal appears to be furious with the low attendance
A full house was never in the cards, but the lack of support is now palpable, most especially when onlookers and players alike can feel it.
Barzal is as fiery on the ice as they come, and the frustration may start boiling over onto a much more profound level of disillusion within the Islanders' fan base.
- Mat Barzal
There needs to be changes on Long Island, and where that change needs to come, whether it's through on-ice product improvement, re-engagement to the fans, or somewhere higher up in the system, is a very open and pressing question.
