New York Islanders: Mathew Barzal is heating up

The New York Islanders have been patiently waiting for Mathew Barzal to start scoring some goals. He’s finally starting to do that.

Though last season didn’t end well for the New York Islanders, rookie center Mathew Barzal gave them a ton of hope for the future. Even after the departure of captain John Tavares, who signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. After his unexpected move, the Islanders expected Barzal to become “the guy” in Brooklyn (and at times Long Island and in the future Belmont).

Entering the month of December, Barzal’s stats were a bit down. He only had three goals, though he was still flirting with his point per game pace from 2017-18 (21 points in 24 games). Something has clicked for Barzal in December, as he’ll finish the month averaging over a point per game (14 points in 11 games thus far with one remaining on New Year’s Eve).

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More importantly, the younger center has found his scoring touch. Barzal has seven goals in the month of December.

Entering the final month of 2018, he had just three goals on 49 shots on goal, good for a six percent shooting percentage. That was down from his 2017-18 shooting percentage of 12.9 percent.

Those goals Barzal couldn’t get earlier are starting to come now. He has seven goals in the month of December, including six goals in his last four games.

In a two day span against the Ottawa Senators and Maple Leafs (both on the road), Barzal doubled his goal total on the season from five to 10.

This is just what he needed to get going. The Islanders said they needed Barzal to start shooting more, and he has.

In October, he barely averaged a shot on goal per game. Since the start of November, Barzal has averaged nearly three shots on goal per game (74 shots in 26 games).

It’s clear he’ll never be a huge goal scorer. Barzal’s skills are best suited as a playmaker, as he’s outstanding at creating opportunities for his teammates. But if he keeps improving his shot, this should make him even more lethal than he already is.

The Islanders struggle offensively, so they really need Barzal to continue to grow into a top-notch NHL center. His possession numbers have been off the charts good, which is an excellent sign. Now Barzal just needs to consistently produce like one. If his recent play is a sign of things to come, he’s well on his way there.