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New York Islanders Happy Birthday Mathew Barzal

By Michel Anderson

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 23: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders celebrates his goal at 2:20 of the first period against the Winnipeg Jets at the Barclays Center on December 23, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 23: Mathew Barzal #13 of the New York Islanders celebrates his goal at 2:20 of the first period against the Winnipeg Jets at the Barclays Center on December 23, 2017 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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New York Islanders future Calder winning rookie Mathew Barzal celebrates his 21st birthday today. Happy birthday.

Today is New York Islanders rookie Mathew Barzal‘s birthday. The Islanders rookie turns 21 today May 26th. Happy birthday, Barzy. We didn’t get you anything. And we feel bad about it, cause you gave us so much this season.

We knew Barzal was going to be a good player when he joined the Islanders roster this season. After a slight setback last year, we knew he was going to bounce back and prove he belonged in the NHL.

He did that. Oh, boy did he. In 2017-18 Mathew Barzal put up 85 points in 82 games, leading the New York Islanders in points. Something John Tavares has done every year since he was drafted first overall in 2009*.

(*Except 2013-14 when he suffered a knee injury thanks to Latvia’s

Arturs Kulda

at the Olympics)

His Accomplishments

Again, we didn’t get Barzal anything. But here’s a list of everything that Barzal has given New York Islanders fans over the course of the 2017-18 NHL season.

  • Recorded his first NHL point against the Los Angeles Kings on October 15th, 2017
  • Recorded his first NHL goal in the very next game on October 19th, 2017 against none other than the New York Rangers.
  • His first multi-point game was a goal and an assist against the Minnesota Wild on October 26th, 2017.
  • Collected five assists against the Colorado Avalanche on November 5th, 2017. The first New York Islanders player to do so since Brent Sutter on October 29th, 1984 and the first Islanders rookie to ever do so.
  • His first NHL hat-trick came against the Winnipeg Jets on December 23rd, 2017.

That was just in the 2017 portion of the NHL season. Through October to December, three full months, Barzal had already collected 36 points and was behind only Brock Boeser for the lead in rookie scoring.

The 2018 Portion

  • He’d record his second five-point night of the season with two goals and three assists against the New York Rangers on January 13th, 2018.
  • On February 9th, 2018, Barzal would, for the third time in a single season, collect five points. This time another five assist night against the Detroit Red Wings. He’s the only Islanders rookie to ever put up five points three times.
  • He ended the season with 85 points through a full 82 games.
  • He earned himself a Calder Finalist nomination. An Isles rookie hasn’t won the Calder Trophy since Bryan Berard in 1997. Barzal will in all likely hood change that.

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Happy birthday Mathew Barzal! You’ve accomplished so much in your time with the New York Islanders already and were only in year one. Can’t wait for the rest of your career wearing blue and orange.

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