Player Discussion: Mathew Barzal

[The Winter Soldier]

Guys it is a good day for a game. Barzal is starting to buy what Trotz wants him to be. A great player rather than just a very good one. He gets to face Pajamas tonight, and coming off a 3 pt game and win. Couldn't come at a better time. To whoever is going to the game tonight. Bring lots of noise. Going to be fun to watch.

 

[Islesfan22]

Guys it is a good day for a game. Barzal is starting to buy what Trotz wants him to be. A great player rather than just a very good one. He gets to face Pajamas tonight, and coming off a 3 pt game and win. Couldn't come at a better time. To whoever is going to the game tonight. Bring lots of noise. Going to be fun to watch.

Barzal going up against Marner and Mathews. You know he’s going to be extra motivated tonight

 

[Islesfan22]

Hard for me to know what to believe. I stupidly thought JT's 91 would be retired someday

This is true but we now have a stable organization and a great coach something Judas never had. Unfortunately Judas decided to abandon ship.

 

[RMimagery]

He’s no Tavares, but should be a lock to score 25-30 each year.

rookie Barzal had one more point than a prime Tavares last year.

May never be the goal scorer that JT is but may be the better player when its all said and done.

Also i think he's just getting into a groove now. He heated up in the second half last year and i think we'll see that again now.

 

[Islanders4Cups]

rookie Barzal had one more point than a prime Tavares last year.

May never be the goal scorer that JT is but may be the better player when its all said and done.

I just don’t see it yet. Maybe he puts up the numbers JT has, emphasis on maybe. He will have to become a very good two-way center as well. He has a long way to go.

 

[YearlyLottery]

I just don’t see it yet. Maybe he puts up the numbers JT has, emphasis on maybe. He will have to become a very good two-way center as well. He has a long way to go.

Tavares was never a two way center, I am unsure where this viewpoint came from. Just because he scored a lot on the PK it does not mean he was some potential Selke Candidate.

 

[aronjudge11]

This what I'm talking about. Shoot the damn puck be a great player we don't need a 18 goal scorer. We need to be better than Tampa caps penguins Toronto.

 

[Thrasymachus]

This what I'm talking about. Shoot the damn puck be a great player we don't need a 18 goal scorer. We need to be better than Tampa caps penguins Toronto.

If Barzal scores 100 points I am perfectly fine with 18 goals

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Can we just put this message on Auto?

Barzal is coming on, he is getting what Trotz wants. Never was a doubt to me. Getting all so close to a PPG with each passing game.

Kept reading sophomore slump. If so I'd like more players to have sophomore slumps like Mathew.

 

[PWJunior]

Can we just put this message on Auto?

Barzal is coming on, he is getting what Trotz wants. Never was a doubt to me. Getting all so close to a PPG with each passing game.

Kept reading sophomore slump. If so I'd like more players to have sophomore slumps like Mathew.

He's completely adjusted his game lately. Beauvillier is doing a lot of the puck handling through the neutral zone, they can't just swarm Barzal anymore. Now he has open ice and is already in motion. Teams can't defend him when he's not carrying the puck as much on the breakout.

His defensive game is night and day from earlier.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

He's completely adjusted his game lately. Beauvillier is doing a lot of the puck handling through the neutral zone, they can't just swarm Barzal anymore. Now he has open ice and is already in motion. Teams can't defend him when he's not carrying the puck as much on the breakout.

His defensive game is night and day from earlier.

All it took was for him to buy in, and then do it instinctively. I always thought the growing process would make Barzal even a better player than last season. I still think he could put on more muscle. And he may being only 21, he has growth to do this without taking anything away from his skating. He doesn't have to go end to end, but use puck movement to his advantage. It's going to be a fun 10 years of watching Barzal prove the haters wrong PW.

 

[Islesfan22]

What did I say Barzal loves these types of games.

 

[Spybot]

And so, in their first head to head game the kid who won the Calder soundly outplays the guy who signed in Toronto...

 

[PWJunior]

And so, in their first head to head game the kid who won the Calder soundly outplays the guy who signed in Toronto...

He embarrassed Judas, Marner, and Matthews.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Barzal knows how to get up for big games. He did this to Matthews last year with a 3 point night also in Toronto. This one was on HNIC on a Sat night. Really could have had 5 points tonight. Dominated Pajamas, Matthews and Marner tonight.

 

[scottywiper]

A star is born...were you guys really worried?

 

[MarsTBOW]

BARZILLA RAIDS AGAIN!!!!!!

 

[Islanders4Cups]

Tavares was never a two way center, I am unsure where this viewpoint came from. Just because he scored a lot on the PK it does not mean he was some potential Selke Candidate.

Putting negativity aside for a moment and I was as disgusted as anyone of the stunt JT pulled last season, I am not going to ignore his ability of playing a two-way game. JT has been and is a top 10 forward over his career. Everyone knows JT is a point producer who generates offense and make players around him better. At the same time JT has always been matched up against opponents top lines without much defensive help nor defensive minded wingers. I am not saying he is Patrice Bergeron who is the best two-way hockey player in the NHL IMO, but JTs defensive game is better than most and Barzal would improve a great deal if he could match JTs defensive game.

In fact Barzal is starting to show signs of improving his defensive game and that has been recognized by his coach.

Is JT a Selke candidate? I never said he was, but he is a better defensive player than he gets credit for.

 

[YearlyLottery]

Putting negativity aside for a moment and I was as disgusted as anyone of the stunt JT pulled last season, I am not going to ignore his ability of playing a two-way game. JT has been and is a top 10 forward over his career. Everyone knows JT is a point producer who generates offense and make players around him better. At the same time JT has always been matched up against opponents top lines without much defensive help nor defensive minded wingers. I am not saying he is Patrice Bergeron who is the best two-way hockey player in the NHL IMO, but JTs defensive game is better than most and Barzal would improve a great deal if he could match JTs defensive game.

In fact Barzal is starting to show signs of improving his defensive game and that has been recognized by his coach.

Is JT a Selke candidate? I never said he was, but he is a better defensive player than he gets credit for.

For a center I always felt he had an average defensive game. JT has had Nielsen and Bailey on his wing in the past though who are defense first players.

This is fine as well. He was not drafted to play amazing defense, he was drafted to score goals which he did do here.

 

[PWJunior]

For a center I always felt he had an average defensive game. JT has had Nielsen and Bailey on his wing in the past though who are defense first players.

This is fine as well. He was drafted to play amazing defense, he was drafted to score goals which he did do here.

At this point, he is more of a winger than center. Marner drives the play now and Judas plays the Moulson/Lee role. He can't create separation so he plays his power forward lacrosse style in the offensive zone. Marner is surprisingly good defensively too so he can cover for him.

Barzal has the tools to be a much better defensive center, it all comes down to effort and commitment. Judas conserved his energy so he could create offense. That is not going to fly with Trotz, Barzal is now buying in. It helps when the other players (like Cizikas in the post game interview after Ottawa) are acknowledging and encouraging his defensive improvements.

 

[YearlyLottery]

At this point, he is more of a winger than center. Marner drives the play now and Judas plays the Moulson/Lee role. He can't create separation so he plays his power forward lacrosse style in the offensive zone. Marner is surprisingly good defensively too so he can cover for him.

Barzal has the tools to be a much better defensive center, it all comes down to effort and commitment. Judas conserved his energy so he could create offense. That is not going to fly with Trotz, Barzal is now buying in. It helps when the other players (like Cizikas in the post game interview after Ottawa) are acknowledging and encouraging his defensive improvements.

They are a team now. Barzal is improving more since Trotz taking over and it shows. Barzal is buying in and it is showing on the scoresheet and passing the eye test.

It seems as if many of us were wrong about the Islanders coming into this season as was Tavares. If he thought this team was going to be this good without him, he might've tried to man up to the wife a little more. This team is going in the right direction thanks to Trotz and Lamoriello.

 

[PK Cronin]

At this point, he is more of a winger than center. Marner drives the play now and Judas plays the Moulson/Lee role. He can't create separation so he plays his power forward lacrosse style in the offensive zone. Marner is surprisingly good defensively too so he can cover for him.

Barzal has the tools to be a much better defensive center, it all comes down to effort and commitment. Judas conserved his energy so he could create offense. That is not going to fly with Trotz, Barzal is now buying in. It helps when the other players (like Cizikas in the post game interview after Ottawa) are acknowledging and encouraging his defensive improvements.

Barzal is more high energy, getting up and down the ice a lot quicker, so I do expect him to excel at both ends. There aren't many players in the league that he can't catch while back-checking. If he isn't afraid to play a little physical and learns more about the defensive side of the game, he's going to be very similar to Datsyuk.

 

[PWJunior]

Barzal is more high energy, getting up and down the ice a lot quicker, so I do expect him to excel at both ends. There aren't many players in the league that he can't catch while back-checking. If he isn't afraid to play a little physical and learns more about the defensive side of the game, he's going to be very similar to Datsyuk.

I've been saying that Trotz is turning Barzal into Datsyuk 2.0. A lot of fans like to say they have the next Datsyuk... Barzal has the closest comparable skillset to #13 that I've seen.

 

[PK Cronin]

I've been saying that Trotz is turning Barzal into Datsyuk 2.0. A lot of fans like to say they have the next Datsyuk... Barzal has the closest comparable skillset to #13 that I've seen.

Yeah, I'm fully on board. I'm not sure if he'll ever have the same hands as Datsyuk, because he was truly unique with what he could do, but he'll be as close to him as I've seen if he continues to buy in. Both players have the ability to play the, "They're expecting me to expect them to do this, so I'll do this other thing instead" type of reads on some plays. It's a thing of beauty to watch.

 

[Thrasymachus]

I've been saying that Trotz is turning Barzal into Datsyuk 2.0. A lot of fans like to say they have the next Datsyuk... Barzal has the closest comparable skillset to #13 that I've seen.

I can get behind this. Barzal winning the selke? My lord