"He felt it was a dirty play on Schaef. We're all with Barzy, obviously."
"We thought it was a knee on Schaef," Roy said. "We're never going to blame a teammate for trying to defend a teammate."
"You gotta stand up for him," forward Kyle MacLean said. "He's a young guy and one of your best players. It's good to see Barzy do something."
"He's a great leader," the rookie said. "That just shows an older guy helping me out there. It mean"
Mathew Barzal was ejected after delivering a two-handed slash to Mason Marchment following a perceived knee and trip of rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Islanders players and coaches defended Barzal as protecting a teammate, with Adam Pelech and Kyle MacLean emphasizing team support and veteran leadership. Coach Patrick Roy said the club believed Marchment kneeed Schaef and stated teammates will not be blamed for defending one another. Barzal could face supplemental discipline, but the organization accepts potential consequences to underscore unity and accountability. Schaefer has been targeted this season, and teammates expect someone to answer when opponents test him.
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