The 25-year-old forward practiced with the Islanders at Northwell Health Ice Center on Friday in his first skate with the team after missing their final 23 games this season with a lower-body injury.
"I felt great," Barzal said. "I felt awesome. Mentally, physically felt good. It's been a while. The boys did a heck of a job. They played inspiring hockey, so I'm just coming back now to jump on the train and continue what these guys have done the last 20 games."
New York compiled a 14-7-2 record without Barzal, and clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth in their final regular-season game, a 4-2 win against the Montreal Canadiens at UBS Arena on Wednesday.
Barzal, the Islanders' second leading scorer this season with 51 points (14 goals, 37 assists) in 58 games, was injured when he was checked into the boards by Boston Bruins forward Craig Smith in the first period of a 6-2 loss at the Bruins on Feb. 18.
"He was really good," center Bo Horvat said of Barzal after practice. "[It] was nice to see him back out on the ice and seeing him back [skating] again. He looked good out there. Hopefully he will be ready to go for Game 1."
Which would be a boon for the Islanders collectively, and for Horvat individually.
The two combined for 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in the seven games they played together, and New York's power play was 6-for-19 (31.6 percent) in those seven games.
The Islanders finished the regular season ranked 22nd in the NHL in goals scored with 242 (2.95 per game), but their power play was -- but the power play was 30th in the League (15.8 percent).
Barzal skated with Horvat on New York's first line during practice, and the two also skated on the top power-play unit.
"We talked about entering the zone [on the power play, and] I think he can really help us with that," Islanders coach Lane Lambert said. "And when he's around the half wall, he has an ability to make some plays."
Barzal tied defenseman Noah Dobson for the New York lead with 19 power-play points (four goals, 15 assists).
"We're pumped to have him back in the lineup," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "We all know how dynamic he is on the ice. So we're looking forward to all the plays he's going to make and the [impact] he's going to have on our team.
"I think you see what we see, right? It's in all the spots," Lee said when asked what Barzal can contribute. "He's great on the power play, [can] create something out of nothing on 5-on-5, and a big piece in our room. So everything you see [is what] we see and it's really awesome. He brings it all the time."
