Islanders Mat Barzal Has Improved Since Last Year

After a bit of a rough start for the New York Islanders, Mat Barzal has been a shining light this year. Almost a month ago he and the Islanders agreed to a three-year contract to keep him playing for New York. This season he has continued to show his worth and has even shown a big improvement from last season.

Barzal is leading the team in points for his team this season. He has the most goals with three, he is tied, with Noah Dobson, for the most assists on his team as well with four. He has also been a strong character in the faceoff unit as well. Winning over half of the faceoffs he has taken.

Barzal: Last Season

Last season, Barzal was incredible. In 68 games, he had 19 goals and 41 assists for a total of 60 points. This season, playing in only seven games, he has three goals, four assists for a total of seven points. He is on track to have an even year than 19-20  in what will be another shortened season.

Last season showed why he was one of the best on the ice for the Islanders, he just didn’t have a lot of help on his end. This season, although in a bit of a rough patch right now, the Islanders have shown a lot of growth and help for building around Barzal.

Barzal: This Season

This season Barzal has been outstanding. In seven games he already has three goals, four assists, and seven points. He has also shown good chemistry with his first line counter-parts, Anders Lee, and Jordan Eberle by being the strongest line for the Islanders.

With only a few games played this season, Barzal has already played at an outstanding rate. Some may even say he is “carrying” a lot of the workload from his team. He is on track to do better than he did last year in a season that is already shortened. Although the team is in a rough patch right now, there are still positives to look at.