Barzal back in Islanders' lineup after missing 21 games

The New York Islanders re-inserted Mathew Barzal into the lineup for Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks.

He played with Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau in his return, recording two shots and two hits in 20:45 minutes of ice time.

Barzal missed 21 games with what his club called an upper-body injury. He last played in a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 30.

The skilled forward had a four-to-six-week timetable, so he's returning slightly behind schedule, as Wednesday would be the seven-week mark.

The Islanders activated him off long-term injured reserve earlier Sunday.

New York went 9-7-5 in Barzal's absence. Defenseman Adam Pelech also returned Sunday after missing 20 contests. Bo Horvat wasn't in the lineup against the Blackhawks due to a lower-body ailment.

Barzal came into the matchup against the Blackhawks with two goals and three assists in 10 games this season. He was averaging 21:12 of ice time, which would be a career high by more than a minute over a full campaign after he set a new personal benchmark of 20:08 in 2023-24.

The 27-year-old led the Islanders with 80 points, including a career-best 23 goals, across 80 games last season.

He's in his ninth campaign with the Isles, who drafted him 16th overall in 2015.