Matthew Barzal did not practice with the Islanders on Wednesday, with the club citing maintenance&nbsp;for its star winger.

Barzal did not appear to be injured during <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/02/13/sports/islanders-fall-in-shootout-as-playoff-picture-gets-a-bit-bleaker/">Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Kraken</a> in which he was featured throughout overtime and took an attempt in the shootout.

The Islanders do not play again until Sunday against the Rangers at MetLife Stadium, so if it is indeed a minor issue for Barzal, the schedule works in his favor.

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<figcaption>Mat Barzal missed practice after the Islanders’ loss to the Kraken. <span class="credit">USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con</span></figcaption>

Still, the idea of the Islanders’ leading scorer missing any time at all would be a serious dent to their playoff hopes.

Barzal missed the final two months of the regular season last year with an ankle injury, but the Islanders still made the playoffs, allowing No. 13 to return in a first-round loss to the Hurricanes.

Matthew Barzal did not appear to be injured during Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Kraken in which he was featured throughout overtime and took an attempt in the shootout.{ai:summary}<p>Matthew Barzal, the star winger for the Islanders, did not practice after their loss to the Kraken. The team cited maintenance as the reason but did not mention any injury. Missing their leading scorer could heavily impact the Islanders' playoff hopes. #sports</p>

Matthew Barzal surprisingly missing from Islanders practice

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