Mathew Barzal found himself on the third line for part of Monday’s overtime loss to the Red Wings — when the Islanders seemed on their way to a third straight win but instead fell apart late at home.
It was the second straight game in which Barzal had been moved from the top line to the third, as Oliver Wahlstrom was moved up to play alongside Bo Horvat.
It didn’t have the desired effect, as coach Lane Lambert said he wanted to “shore things up defensively” following the loss to Detroit on Long Island.
A day later, Lambert said the defense from that top line with Barzal’s presence wasn’t necessarily as poor as he’d initially thought during the game.
“When I went back and looked at it, it wasn’t maybe as bad as I thought it was [after the game],’’ Lambert said after the Islanders had an optional skate with their next game coming on Thursday in Washington.
“Certainly, you don’t want to be giving up Grade-A chances,” Lambert said. “You don’t want to be trading chances, chance for chance. That’s not how our team is built.”
Those chances apparently didn’t seem as glaring upon some reflection.
“Those in-game decisions are made and we learn from them as we move forward,’’ Lambert said.
Barzal ended up skating with Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Simon Holmstrom on the third line, with Lambert saying he thought the maneuvers would result in the best three-line combination.
For his part, Barzal said he didn’t think he and Horvat had made too many miscues on defense.
“I think it’s been pretty solid,’’ Barzal said Tuesday of the top line’s defense. “We haven’t spent a ton of time in our end. Maybe the last two games, a little bit more. We’ve been pretty good.”
The Isles had a 2-0 lead heading into the third period before Daniel Sprong scored Detroit’s first goal.
Barzal said he “probably could have put a little more pressure on the play. I felt our defensemen were in a pretty good spot, so I was kind of making sure the trailer didn’t get the puck.”
That led to a trio of quick Detroit goals before Horvat at least helped the Islanders get to overtime with a late power-play goal.
It’s not the first time this season the Isles have seen an opposing team score goals in a flurry, but Barzal didn’t see a trend.
“It’s not something that’s happening all the time,’’ Barzal said. “I don’t think [the other team] just scores a goal and we completely sink. It’s just a lucky bounce here or there.”
Overall, Barzal has been satisfied with his play on both ends of the ice with the top line.
“I think chance for chance, we outweigh the other side,’’ Barzal said.
And of Lambert’s decision to move him to the third line — albeit temporarily, as he did against Columbus, as well — Barzal was diplomatic.
“It is what it is,’’ Barzal said. “Lane’s the coach. He knows what he’s doing.”
Barzal ended up being on the ice for a pair of Detroit goals, though.
“Sometimes that switch can work the other way and you can maybe switch the line and they go out and score,’’ Barzal said. “Unfortunately, [Monday] night, it went the other way.”