Calling Out Matt Barzal

[GOLFWANG]

whens the last time a forward has gotten open for Barzal?

 

[mm11]

Having been an Islander fan since the late 70's. I can debate with strong conviction the Isles never had a better skater. His skills alone one can argue is close to be the best ever as well. I see a kid that competes every night and wants to win. He is trying his onions off. Is he immature? Yes, I'll have to agree but tell me a 22 year old that is not to some degree? Barzal is the least of the NYI worries.

 

[CREW99AW]

While I agree Barzal tries to do too much at times and his retaliatory penalties have bitten the isles on the a** , I think it is out of frustration more then anything else.
He admires Trotz, has said he is making him a better player and they are lucky to have him.

Be patient with Barzal.He is all of a whopping 22

 

[NC 1972]

Lou is more a problem with this team than Matt Barzal.
Barzal was the best player on the ice last night against Vegas. Get Barzal some true first line talent than see what he can do. Barzal as a second line Center on another team or with other skilled players would light it up.
Guys like Eberle and Lee rarely ever create there own offense and do nothing to complement Barzal.

Who is actually scoring on this team on a regular basis?

Actually I see Eberle often creating opportunities when it appears none exist. He has weaknesses to his game like every other player but to say he isn't creative offensively I feel is incorrect .

 

[PuckItUp27]

This is what happens when the rest of your team is a bunch of scrubs. You get pissed off b/c nobody can do anything and you try to do everything yourself.

 

[ekill08x]

Hey Lee away from him and watch him player better. Lee slows that entire line back and can’t convert his numerous scoring opportunities.

 

[mm11]

He rarely gets the cheap secondary PP points or empty net points the stat watchers love to see unfortunately

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Hey Lee away from him and watch him player better. Lee slows that entire line back and can’t convert his numerous scoring opportunities.

Slightly OT, but what's happened to Lee's touch around the net. I know he was never a guy who'd rifle one-timers from 30 feet out, but he used to be deadly around the net.

 

[MJF]

Slightly OT, but what's happened to Lee's touch around the net. I know he was never a guy who'd rifle one-timers from 30 feet out, but he used to be deadly around the net.

Lee's in a slump. His shooting % is way under his career average. I have to believe he will rebound from it, if not this year then next.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Lee's in a slump. His shooting % is way under his career average. I have to believe he will rebound from it, if not this year then next.

Is part of it the "fit" with Barzal isn't right for him? I think one of the reasons he clicked with Tavares was because both guys liked to work with the puck around the goal mouth and down low on the boards. Both seemed to like to create/cash in garbage goals. Barzal seems to prefer looking for open shots from farther out, whether it be from the trailing defenseman or a cross ice pass to an open winger.

 

[MJF]

Is part of it the "fit" with Barzal isn't right for him? I think one of the reasons he clicked with Tavares was because both guys liked to work with the puck around the goal mouth and down low on the boards. Both seemed to like to create/cash in garbage goals. Barzal seems to prefer looking for open shots from farther out, whether it be from the trailing defenseman or a cross ice pass to an open winger.

Part of the problem, although it's still not making Lee miss the net 3 times from in close like he did yesterday.

I'm sure that when Trotz calls for guys to simplify their games and become more predictable, one guy he's referring to is Barzal. He does need to play to the skillsets of the linemates he has.

 

[PK Cronin]

Is part of it the "fit" with Barzal isn't right for him? I think one of the reasons he clicked with Tavares was because both guys liked to work with the puck around the goal mouth and down low on the boards. Both seemed to like to create/cash in garbage goals. Barzal seems to prefer looking for open shots from farther out, whether it be from the trailing defenseman or a cross ice pass to an open winger.

This is a big part of it. He played really well with Tavares and Bailey because they cycled and played behind the goal line. Barzal doesn't want to play there and is always looking for an open pass instead of funneling pucks towards the net which allow Lee to do his thing.

 

[periferal]

This thread should be launched into the sun.

It's "Tavares issue" 2.0. Get Barzal legit goal scorers on his wings and he can go back to being a 60-assist guy.

 

[MattMartin]

 

[PK Cronin]

This thread should be launched into the sun.

It's "Tavares issue" 2.0. Get Barzal legit goal scorers on his wings and he can go back to being a 60-assist guy.

Getting "legit scorers" doesn't make Barzal's bonehead decisions go away. Not many guys have more goals than Lee the past three seasons, why can't Barzal get him to score? Eberle is a consistent 20+ goal guy, why isn't he scoring anymore?

 

[doublechili]

Slightly OT, but what's happened to Lee's touch around the net. I know he was never a guy who'd rifle one-timers from 30 feet out, but he used to be deadly around the net.

My theory is that Trotz doesn't like bombing away with point shots all the time, and Lee used to score a lot of goals off point shot deflections and rebounds.

 

[Doshell Propivo]

Glanced at a few posts on the first page and here's what I've learned.

Barzal should be traded.
Trotz is handcuffing his players and is a big problem.
Lou is actually the biggest problem.


Fantastic guys!

LOL!!!!

 

[PWJunior]

Glanced at a few posts on the first page and here's what I've learned.

Barzal should be traded.
Trotz is handcuffing his players and is a big problem.
Lou is actually the biggest problem.


Fantastic guys!

LOL!!!!

Seriously.

Reading that garbage is even more painful than being in the hospital for me. Not really, but painful nonetheless.

 

[periferal]

Getting "legit scorers" doesn't make Barzal's bonehead decisions go away. Not many guys have more goals than Lee the past three seasons, why can't Barzal get him to score? Eberle is a consistent 20+ goal guy, why isn't he scoring anymore?

Matchups my friend. Matchups.

There's a reason why Barzal was a 20-60-80 guy his rookie year...Because getting to "hide" behind Tavares he faced other teams' 2nd level defenders. Now Barzal can be a 1st line player, but he's literally the only forward that can drive the offense, so other teams take a look at playing the Isles and their primary strategy is, "Stop #13."

In addition Eberle when he was scoring 20+ goals was also used in a secondary scoring role (and mainly on Edmonton). We both know in an optimal situation (a Cup contending team) Eberle is a 2nd line winger.

Without getting him the help he needs Barzal will continue to get frustrated and is more prone to making poor decisions. Get him legit 1st line wingers and I'd bet his mistakes go down when he doesn't have to drive the play on his own vs other teams best defenders.

 

[xIsle]

Matchups my friend. Matchups.

There's a reason why Barzal was a 20-60-80 guy his rookie year...Because getting to "hide" behind Tavares he faced other teams' 2nd level defenders. Now Barzal can be a 1st line player, but he's literally the only forward that can drive the offense, so other teams take a look at playing the Isles and their primary strategy is, "Stop #13."

In addition Eberle when he was scoring 20+ goals was also used in a secondary scoring role (and mainly on Edmonton). We both know in an optimal situation (a Cup contending team) Eberle is a 2nd line winger.

Without getting him the help he needs Barzal will continue to get frustrated and is more prone to making poor decisions. Get him legit 1st line wingers and I'd bet his mistakes go down when he doesn't have to drive the play on his own vs other teams best defenders.

We should therefore reunite Bailey and Lee with Barzal on the 1st line because the two have proven that they could produce with Tavares two years ago. It's not a bad idea! The Lee-Barzal-Bailey line had worked well when Eberle was injured earlier this season.

The top six:
Lee-Barzal-Bailey
Beauvillier-Nelson-Eberle

 

[BTrotts19]

Lee's in a slump. His shooting % is way under his career average. I have to believe he will rebound from it, if not this year then next.

I dont know the split but it feels like most of Lee's goals have been on shots and hardly any with his normal deflection/tip-in. With Barzy not being a shooter (like others in the top 6 forward group) and our dmen inability to hit the net I feel like is killing us with Lee.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

For some reason, Trotz is getting a free pass here. Barzal, AND other players are totally being handcuffed by trotz. Think about it, he has ENCOURAGED them to not shoot, unless a perfect shot. This is stupid in every way. Now either 1. Trotz didn't tell his players this crap in wash, or 2. He did, and they ignored him and won a cup in spite of him. Either way, there is no way in the world that he should be twisting their minds in the offensive zone. Al Arbours system, which was perfect, allowed offensive creativity with the puck, but once they lost it, quick transition. And Al never would tell his team to stop shooting. This is Trotz fault, and the reason why players like Barzal are not happy. Trotz will scare away ANY offensive players with his reputation.

Lets go back to Weights system so Barzal can get his point per game. Lol

 

[Islanders4Cups]

Lou is more a problem with this team than Matt Barzal.
Barzal was the best player on the ice last night against Vegas. Get Barzal some true first line talent than see what he can do. Barzal as a second line Center on another team or with other skilled players would light it up.
Guys like Eberle and Lee rarely ever create there own offense and do nothing to complement Barzal.

Who is actually scoring on this team on a regular basis?

oh wait, do tell how Lou is supposed to pickup top 3 talent for more than 2.5 months without giving away the future.

I am sure you have the solution.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

Al Arbour and Bill Torrey wouldn't have gotten through the 1970’s with the patience of some of the jokesters here.

 

[Newsworthy]

oh wait, do tell how Lou is supposed to pickup top 3 talent for more than 2.5 months without giving away the future.

I am sure you have the solution.

This seems to be getting out of hand with alot of frustrated Islander fans commenting on these threads. I kinda feel like a broken record but I will mention it again. The NY Islanders have been lacking goal scoring talent since Lou took over. It's his responsibility to find players that address the team's need. He hasn't hit a HR since brining in Trotz and that's more of a no brainer. Perhaps his best move was to get Lehner and Varlomov and retain Nelson.