The New York Islanders are locked in a big Metropolitan Division matchup with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Matthew Schaefer has been sensational since he was drafted, and other players have noticed. When Blue Jackets forward Mason Marchment took his second run at Schaefer, Mathew Barzal retaliated and was ejected.

Barzal was ejected, and other penalties were called for the scrum. The Blue Jackets ended up with a 4-on-3 powerplay, on which they did not score. Without Barzal, the Islanders will need big performances from their other top forwards. Bo Horvat responded with a goal later in the second period, giving New York the lead.

The Islanders drafted Schaefer first overall with high hopes, and he has exceeded them all. With the Calder Trophy race ending early, teams are trying to knock the superstar off his game. Marchment took that role on during the game against the Blue Jackets, but ended up in the penalty box both times.

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Marchment is a new member of the Blue Jackets after he was traded from the Seattle Kraken. He has already made an impact, scoring two goals in his first game. With an ongoing playoff drought, Columbus is looking for any spark to get into the dance this year.

An ongoing conversation around the Islanders has been about getting an enforcer to protect Schaefer. So far, Scott Mayfield has done a nice job defending him. Anders Lee got in a tussle as this play was going on, but Barzal had not been involved in the enforcement activities recently.

The Islanders could be without Barzal for longer if the Department of Player Safety decides to suspend him. Considering his lack of a history with DoPS, he may get off with a fine. But Marchment did not have the puck, which could be the tiebreaker for a suspension.