Butch said BT spoke to Barzal about shooting more, using the analogy of a pitcher mixing up his pitches. In a previous post I also made the same analogy, he also mentioned he has to find the good ice moving to the middle getting to the net. Unfortunately he is too predictable right now a perimeter player, Winnipeg did a good job of putting the body to him along the boards. I remember Fred Shero when the Flyers beat Boston for the cup saying you cant cover Bobby Orr so we focused on everyone else and took away all his options and let Bernie worry about #4. I see this same strategy being employed Barzal is young and talented he will figure it out right now he needs to start shooting.
Player Discussion: Mathew Barzal
- Thread starter PK Cronin
- Start date
aronjudge11
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2017
- 1,017
- 222
Barzal is reminding me of ho sang with the rushes that turn to nothing. It took baileybeight years to start shooting a little bit. I think the off-season hype, saying he's better than JT ever was has vanished, last seasons numbers don't mean anything because they played the worst defensive system in the teams history. He is what we are seeing now, a great skater and great passer and a guy who has inability to shoot the puck. When sittng in the stands he reminds me of the rangers kovalev.
Brunomics
Registered User
- Sep 2, 2006
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Barzal's problem isn't hard to figure out. Right now his whole mentality is to skate and open up lanes to dish to his teammates for shots. He needs to use that speed in order to create shots for himself. Kid needs a dose of aggression in his game.
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
His teammates could help him by, you know, not just standing still watching him and actually make an attempt to get open for a pass. That might help.
The Winter Soldier
Registered User
- Apr 4, 2011
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My Islanders friends. Seems like a Leafs fan decided to bump the Barzal/Matthews thread at this blue and white opportune time. Their insecurity is certainly amusing.
Take a look if you want. I only made a few posts in the thread. But I do say, Isles fans have conducted themselves well when it was first posted, and now that it has been miraculously bumped.
Barzal Or Matthews
Take a look if you want. I only made a few posts in the thread. But I do say, Isles fans have conducted themselves well when it was first posted, and now that it has been miraculously bumped.
Barzal Or Matthews
Lame Lambert
Fire Lou
- Mar 5, 2015
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Trade for Ryan Suter, Ray Emery and Radim Vrbata.
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
Brunomics
Registered User
- Sep 2, 2006
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You also get to a point when you actually don't know when he is going to dish it off. The longer he holds onto the puck the worse the result will be because his team mates can no longer read the play. Ho sang has the same issue which causes the turnovers.
Richie Daggers Crime
Boosted 9 times they/them
Yeah, no shit. It's like, what the f*** are they supposed to do? He's skating around like his knickers are full of fire ants. Nobody knows what the hell he's doing half the time. The opposition is just letting him do it, since he either turns it over or eventually ends up falling.
Newsworthy
Registered User
He will figure it out eventually. At least Barzal isn't hurting the team.
Richie Daggers Crime
Boosted 9 times they/them
I like Barzal and I think he'll figure it out, but he is absolutely hurting the team at times. That holding the stick penalty he took, for example.
GrandmaSlices51631
Registered User
Don't confuse inability with reluctance - we've seen Barzal score some wicked goals. He just simply isn't shooting enough.
SOG
Barzal ... 57
Point ... 84
RNH ... 86
Larkin ... 105
Eichel ... 128
I think all those players are fair comparables, he's got to get back to shooting, instead of ALWAYS circling back and trying to start a cycle, I'd like to see him cut through the middle or drive to the net - which he was doing last year with more regularity.
Barzal is having a really tough 2nd year. I guess it's to be expected, since he had protection last year, and that protection left in FA. But I was one of the fools who thought it wouldn't affect him. Obviously it has. Hopefully he's not the type of player that is a 1 year wonder, flash in the pan.
I look at MacKinnon's career, and I'm hopeful. MacKinnon won the rookie of the year, struggled the next few seasons, and then became a star. Barzal's speed reminds me of MacKinnon's, but MacKinnon has a great shot that he's not afraid to use. Also doesn't hurt to have Mikko Rantanen on his wing. Hopefully Wahlstrom becomes Barzal's Rantanen.
I look at MacKinnon's career, and I'm hopeful. MacKinnon won the rookie of the year, struggled the next few seasons, and then became a star. Barzal's speed reminds me of MacKinnon's, but MacKinnon has a great shot that he's not afraid to use. Also doesn't hurt to have Mikko Rantanen on his wing. Hopefully Wahlstrom becomes Barzal's Rantanen.
GrandmaSlices51631
Registered User
We are only 28 games in. The fact he has 21 points and has not looked incredible is very reassuring. We are bias because we see him every night, go to the other teams GDT, virtually every game, regardless of outcome, numerous fans from the opposition are ranting about how legit Barzal is.
Thrasymachus
Registered User
- Jul 1, 2018
- 5,214
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Bingo. He has played mediocre and is still accumulating points. I am hoping for perhaps not a 5 point game, but a multi point game from Barzal soon. He is young, sophomores typically go through funks. The talent is obvious.
Skip To My Lou
Abused Fan
When Tavares left, you can see he’s put a lot of pressure on himself to take control at the helm. And that’s good, but like Tavares, you can see him trying too hard to make plays. Statistically, his drop off is not THAT bad, but you can see that teams are starting to figure him out.
He’ll get out of this slump, especially with Trotz as his coach. The kids in tremendous hands.
He’ll get out of this slump, especially with Trotz as his coach. The kids in tremendous hands.
mm11
Registered User
I agree 100%. I see a kid that is trying is onions off and getting frustrated however. One multiple point game could sky rocket confidence and numbers or he could try the Keith Hernandez way of dealing with slumps. Only us old timers may know this one. lol
His teammates need to make themselves options on the breakout and Barzal needs to use them more. Goes both ways imo
Brunomics
Registered User
- Sep 2, 2006
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That needs to get worked out by the coaching staff then. Because the strategy always seems to be for Barzal to fly through the zones until he's waiting for everyone to play catch up.
You raise a good point. Despite appearances, playing with Barzal is not so easy. Even Mike Bossy (author of 573 goals, should we remember it?
) mentioned it yesterday between periods. Barzal has great talent, but playing with him is difficult because he is unpredictable (for his own linemates).
The Winter Soldier
Registered User
- Apr 4, 2011
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I think Barzal is trying too hard. As funny as this sounds he is trying to force things rather than let the game come to him. Last year, the game looked easy to him. This year he looks to be thinking too much. And what I notice is trying to force things. The talent is still there, the fine young man has not changed. He is going to have to figure out how to play naturally in the confines of Trotz's system. The good news is Backstrom and Kutznetsev did, Barzal will too. We all knew last season set the bar high for Mathew. It will take time. As Barzal get's a valuable year under Trotz under him and the talent improves on the Island. Have no doubt, Barzal will become that #1C we all know he has the talent to.
GrandmaSlices51631
Registered User
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