Player Discussion: Mathew Barzal

buud

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Am I the only one who has been generally pleased with his game? He needs to be better on faceoffs and defensively, but he's been making things happen often.
i think he looks more confident lately. still making errors, but who doesn't? and still needs to work on parts of his game, but i am somewhat happy with his play.
 

Islesfan22

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Am I the only one who has been generally pleased with his game? He needs to be better on faceoffs and defensively, but he's been making things happen often.
I think some expected him to dominate in his second season ala Mcdavid. He will finish with 70-80 pts barring injury. There was always going to be a learning curve playing for a more defensive minded coach
 

Thrasymachus

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i think he looks more confident lately. still making errors, but who doesn't? and still needs to work on parts of his game, but i am somewhat happy with his play.
I think his most recent goal will encourage him to shoot more
 

seafoam

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Needs to think of himself as more of a goal scorer.

In Staple’s latest piece, even Leo find’s Barzal predictable when practicing against him. Players can read that type of stuff at this level.

“‘I’m opening my book to chapter 13,’ that’s a favorite of his,” Barzal said. “Or, ‘I have my playbook open to page 13, I know how to read you.’ It’s nonstop.”

 

SjMilhouse

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Jul 18, 2012
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I had to go read it for myself. That guy is a ****ing idiot and he appears to be making **** up just to bash Barzal. Almost nothing he says is true.

Quite a twatwaffle you guys got over there.
Yeah I don't see their posts anymore but I also don't watch the Isles enough to know whether or not it's true. The few times I've seen Barzal play I've been blown away and I wanted him over anyone else available at #9 so I had a feeling it was just a really bad take for whatever reason. Appreciate the feedback!
 
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Konk

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Yeah I don't see their posts anymore but I also don't watch the Isles enough to know whether or not it's true. The few times I've seen Barzal play I've been blown away and I wanted him over anyone else available at #9 so I had a feeling it was just a really bad take for whatever reason. Appreciate the feedback!

Everyone else seemed sensible, so it seems like you have a good group over there in general.

There's always one. We have one too.
 

PK Cronin

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I think some expected him to dominate in his second season ala Mcdavid. He will finish with 70-80 pts barring injury. There was always going to be a learning curve playing for a more defensive minded coach

I think that's the biggest thing too, playing for a defensive minded coach who is reigning him (and the team) in from pond hockey. I said it last year that his constant holding off the puck is actually a problem long term because it makes it harder for his teammates to know what to do, it's so unstructured. Trotz is getting him away from that.
 

pursuit81

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Am I the only one who has been generally pleased with his game? He needs to be better on faceoffs and defensively, but he's been making things happen often.
Barzal is performing pretty much exactly as I expected him to in his sophomore season. Taking his lumps as the primary focus of the opposition every night with a defense first coach and not enough talent around him. He's going to be fine but it will be a season of adjustment. 65-75 pts.
 

Quickdraw2828

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He'g going east and west too much and waiting for someone to cut toward the net. It isn't working anymore, defenders are staying back from him and clogging the middle more. He needs to go up the middle more toward net. Obviously he'll run into defenders and get stripped more, but he's a guy who can push a puck past a defender and get around the body without missing a beat. I can't recall an islander who did this better than him.
 
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The Winter Soldier

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For those that have said he is having a rough sophomore season. Mathew is actually 2 points ahead of where he was last season when he smashed his way into the NHL with 85 points.

Had 14 points after 17 games last year.
This year he stands at 16 points after 17 games.
 

seafoam

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Yesterday was his best game of the season by far.

Playing in front of the hometown really gets your head on straight apparently.
 

PK Cronin

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For those that have said he is having a rough sophomore season. Mathew is actually 2 points ahead of where he was last season when he smashed his way into the NHL with 85 points.

Had 14 points after 17 games last year.
This year he stands at 16 points after 17 games.

The eye test says he's adjusting still. He's just so talented he'll always rack up points. Great to see him still producing while in a funk.
 

crasherino

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May 9, 2013
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For those that have said he is having a rough sophomore season. Mathew is actually 2 points ahead of where he was last season when he smashed his way into the NHL with 85 points.

Had 14 points after 17 games last year.
This year he stands at 16 points after 17 games.
Last year he didn't have a point in his first 5 or 6 games. So really, his point production was over 75 games or so. It took him a few games to figure things out....and off he went.
 
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crasherino

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Yesterday was his best game of the season by far.

Playing in front of the hometown really gets your head on straight apparently.

I agree although even his pass to Bailey - which was really slick - should probably have been a shot. It was the perfect little pass that too often can get deflected. I would rather he stop trying to make the perfect hero play and just fire away. It ended well though.

Of course, his pass to CC was right on his stick and led to a goal as well. Getting that through the defenseman was not an easy task.

I'm not worried about him in the least though. He has to work on his game and simplify it a bit but he still controls the game like few others in the league, even with the other team keying on him.
 
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The Winter Soldier

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The eye test says he's adjusting still. He's just so talented he'll always rack up points. Great to see him still producing while in a funk.
I would agree with this. Barzal is adjusting to what he can do with Trotz. Last year, it would be get the puck deep in the zone and skate it out. I see less of this, this season. Trotz may want less end to end rushes from his players. I think Barzal should be the exception since he possesses talents few players have. I think once it becomes instinctive, we will see another level Barzal possesses. He is still ahead of last year's pace, but I would not be surprised if he takes off soon like last year.
 
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The Winter Soldier

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Needs to think of himself as more of a goal scorer.

In Staple’s latest piece, even Leo find’s Barzal predictable when practicing against him. Players can read that type of stuff at this level.





People may not have thought so when Leo was first signed, But I knew this part of him and what he brings to the Isles that are not measured on the ice. Good to see.
 
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PWJunior

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I would agree with this. Barzal is adjusting to what he can do with Trotz. Last year, it would be get the puck deep in the zone and skate it out. I see less of this, this season. Trotz may want less end to end rushes from his players. I think Barzal should be the exception since he possesses talents few players have. I think once it becomes instinctive, we will see another level Barzal possesses. He is still ahead of last year's pace, but I would not be surprised if he takes off soon like last year.

Trotz has said himself that he wants Barzal to be an elite 2-way player, not just an elite talent. That process is not going to happen overnight, it'll be a process all season long that will pay huge dividends down the line.

Barzal is a wild thoroughbred, he has clear superstar talent. Trotz is a great choice as his coach to break him and build him back up into a superstar race horse. Doing that in the back drop of all of the transition at all levels of the organization, it's a lot to ask of a 21 year old kid. Now that we have a 15-game sample size, the offseason acquisitions and how they fit into the big picture is a lot clearer. Leo, Flip, and the other foot soldiers do a lot of the dirty work so that Barzal doesn't have to be Atlas and shoulder the whole load.

I trust Lou and Trotz have a plan in place for The 'Chise. Incompetent management would just play him 20+ minutes and pray everything works out. Basically what Snow's regime did with Tray-toor, we have real adults in control now who know what they're doing in developing an immense talent.
 

The Winter Soldier

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Trotz has said himself that he wants Barzal to be an elite 2-way player, not just an elite talent. That process is not going to happen overnight, it'll be a process all season long that will pay huge dividends down the line.

Barzal is a wild thoroughbred, he has clear superstar talent. Trotz is a great choice as his coach to break him and build him back up into a superstar race horse. Doing that in the back drop of all of the transition at all levels of the organization, it's a lot to ask of a 21 year old kid. Now that we have a 15-game sample size, the offseason acquisitions and how they fit into the big picture is a lot clearer. Leo, Flip, and the other foot soldiers do a lot of the dirty work so that Barzal doesn't have to be Atlas and shoulder the whole load.

I trust Lou and Trotz have a plan in place for The 'Chise. Incompetent management would just play him 20+ minutes and pray everything works out. Basically what Snow's regime did with Tray-toor, we have real adults in control now who know what they're doing in developing an immense talent.

I am confident in Trotz developing Barzal as even more a rounded talent than he was last year. We already know he was the best ES player on the Isles last year, his advanced metrics screamed this. But if Trotz can turn Ovie into a complete player as he was last year, then The Isles have a Thoroughbred here in Barzal in the not too distant future.

One thing I have always known Barzal to be, is he is a student of his craft, and he will not rest on his laurels as a player. He is going to be even better in years to come.
 
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SI

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He'g going east and west too much and waiting for someone to cut toward the net. It isn't working anymore, defenders are staying back from him and clogging the middle more. He needs to go up the middle more toward net. Obviously he'll run into defenders and get stripped more, but he's a guy who can push a puck past a defender and get around the body without missing a beat. I can't recall an islander who did this better than him.

The last was Lafonataine- Ziggy had moments, but not to that level -

But, Patty is surely the only islander I can remember that could do that -

Tim Connolly was suppose to be that type of player-
 

SI

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I think Maty should play with Bailey and Lee right now and with all of the PP shuffle - I cannot see how this is short lived - Maty needs to be on the PP1

Ways to do this would be to move Pulock to the top of the umbrella replacing Leddy - this is the spot where Carlson was on the Caps PP1.

Another way to do that could be to move Maty to Eberle spot which I like less, but it would also put your best 5 on the ice with the man advantage.

2nd unit needs puck carrier - Ho-Sang and Toews!
 
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Olliemets

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He'g going east and west too much and waiting for someone to cut toward the net. It isn't working anymore, defenders are staying back from him and clogging the middle more. He needs to go up the middle more toward net. Obviously he'll run into defenders and get stripped more, but he's a guy who can push a puck past a defender and get around the body without missing a beat. I can't recall an islander who did this better than him.
Totally agree. Been watching this team since 1973-74. Isles have had some tremendous talent, HOF talent at times. Can't think of anyone with quite the combination of edgework, speed, and vision of Matty B. Patty LaFontaine may be close but not the passer Barzal is. He's learning a new system, is well coached and now getting tutelage from NHL Vets. Positive he'll adjust. I'd be thrilled with 70 point season from him
 

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