The factors helping Mat Barzal evolve as a player — and fueling the Islanders’ hot streak
NY Post
IRVINE, Calif. — As Mat Barzal creeps up on 600 games in the NHL, he’s thought more and more about his own maturity as a hockey player.
His rookie season still feels like yesterday, but Barzal, as analytical and willing to examine himself as any player in the league, knows well just how different a player he is now.
It’s at the heart of his recent hot streak, with 14 points in the last 10 games on either side of the Olympic break.
“I feel like as I’ve gotten older in this league, I used to get frustrated in the first period when we didn’t score, I miss a chance,” Barzal told The Post after the Islanders practiced Tuesday. “And now, just let the game come to me. I like to go after the game early on, but [recognize] what the night is gonna be.
“Sometimes the night is gonna be stingy, there’s not gonna be much offense created, so I know that I’m locking in on a chance or two that I have. Making sure that if I only get two chances a night, I’m putting something in. I think I’ve come a long way that way.”
This time of year, that description applies in part, and often in whole, to most games. The Islanders have started slow in all three of their games since the break, and road games in the dog days of the season tend to take on a stingy feel.
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