NEW YORK _ The Islanders are living in the moment, what with an important playoff task at hand and important free-agent matters to come this summer.
But a subplot with longer-range implications also will play out in the coming days and perhaps weeks: How will young Mathew Barzal, their most dynamic player, take to postseason pressure?
He is 21 and the sort of foundational piece a team might want to build around for many springs to come.
