Why was Mathew Barzal fined $5,000 by the NHL? Islanders forward's penalty explained

In a surprising turn of events, Mathew Barzal of the New York Islanders has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), for a high-sticking incident involving Carolina Hurricanes' Tony DeAngelo on Saturday, Nov 4 at the UBS Arena, New York. The Islanders lost the game 4-3 in overtime.

The incident took place during the second period of the game. With just over five minutes left, tensions were running high as both teams were locked in a tightly contested battle.

Barzal was engaged in a physical play along the boards with DeAngelo at the 2:59 mark of the second period. As the two players jockeyed for position, Barzal inadvertently raised his stick and made contact with DeAngelo's face, resulting in a high-sticking infraction. The incident led to a two-minute penalty for Barzal and a brief skirmish between the two teams.

The high-sticking incident was swiftly reviewed by the NHL's Department of Player Safety. After carefully considering the video evidence and players' testimonies, it was determined that the incident warranted a fine but not a suspension, given the absence of any malicious intent on Barzal's part.

Later, the NHL Player Safety announced it on their X (formerly Twitter) account:

"NY Islanders' Mathew Barzal has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for High-sticking Carolina's Tony DeAngelo."

The money from the fine goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Aho's heroics lift Carolina Hurricanes to overtime victory

In an electrifying showdown at UBS Arena on Saturday night, the Carolina Hurricanes staged an incredible comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the second period to secure a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over the New York Islanders.

Sebastian Aho emerged as the hero, netting the game-winner just 1:14 into overtime.

The Islanders got off to a strong start with goals from Noah Dobson and Simon Holmstrom in the first period. Then Mathew Barzal extended their lead and contributed an assist.

Bo Horvat made two assists, But Ilya Sorokin's 44 saves couldn't prevent the Islanders from a loss. Meanwhile, Jalen Chatfield and Dmitry Orlov each scored for the Hurricanes, narrowing the gap before Jesperi Kotkaniemi's power-play goal tied the game. Antti Raanta secured the win for the Hurricanes with 22 saves.