Islanders Appreciative of Barzal’s All-Star Skill

For Mathew Barzal, the experience of being selected to the All-Star Game doesn’t get old.

Barzal was selected to his third All-Star Game on Thursday and the Islanders center is appreciative of the league-wide recognition.

“I’m excited, I know it’s in Toronto this year, so I’m sure it’s going to be a big event,” Barzal said. “It’s nice to get some recognition. There are some guys on this team that could have gone as well – Bo [Horvat], [Noah Dobson] and [Brock Nelson] – we’ve all had good starts to the year and I’m fortunate to go.”

The 27-year-old leads the Islanders in points, with 39 (10G, 29A) in 38 games to start the season and recorded his 400^th and 401^st points in Thursday’s 5-1 win over Arizona. Barzal is the 17^th player in team history to reach 400 points and did so in the seventh-fewest games. It’ll be Barzal’s third trip to the All-Star Game and first since 2020, when he won the fastest skater competition. Barzal and the Metropolitan Division All-Stars also won the 2019 three-on-three tournament in San Jose.

“I like being around the league's best,” Barzal said. “It's cool to be in that atmosphere. I like to put on a good show, be in the game and I like to display some skill. There's a lot of skill there. I saw the Eastern Conference side yesterday and it's a pretty star-studded lineup. I just like being there. I like the atmosphere, the energy, it's fun.”

While Barzal is appreciative of the selection, his teammates are appreciative of his game.

Horvat’s admiration of Barzal’s game has grown exponentially since the two have played together this season. There’s the obvious chemistry between the gifted passer and sniper, evident on plays like Barzal’s dish to Horvat in Carolina on Nov. 30 and on Horvat’s OT winner against Toronto on Dec. 11.

Barzal has assisted on eight of Horvat’s 16 goals this season, while Horvat has an assist on four of Barzal’s 10 tallies. They’ve both registered an assist on a goal six times this year.

“He’s played so well this year and he’s a special player,” Horvat said. “For him to get named is a great honor and it feels good to be a part of that. He deserved it and really happy for him.”

While Horvat talked about Barzal’s offensive skills, he noted Barzal’s ability to strip and retrieve pucks. Barzal is second in the NHL with 44 takeaways, trailing on Vegas’ Jack Eichel.

“He's playing really well at both ends of the rink,” Horvat said. “He’s pickpocketing guys and going into transition, so there's a lot more to his game than just points and he's really showing that.”

Mike Reilly has played plenty against Barzal in the past and can attest that it’s generally more fun playing with a dynamic playmaker than against him. Reilly knows when Barzal is on the ice, he can join the play and find soft spots in the offensive zone, knowing the center-turned-winger will pick him up on his radar. Thursday’s win in Arizona was a prime example, with Reilly finding space and Barzal finding him to put the Isles up 2-0.

“It's obviously fun to be out there with him because he always has his head up and just kind of looking for the late attacker,” Reilly said. “When he's out on the ice if there's a chance to kind of find a little bit of a soft spot, it’ll be great. When he’s moving like that and playing with pace in his game, he can be as dominant as anyone.”

Barzal is on pace for his best statistical season since his rookie year, when he recorded 85 points and won the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year. He’s evolved both on and off the ice over that span and longtime teammates and linemates like Anders Lee have had a front row seat.

“He's grown on and off the ice in so many different areas,” Lee said. “He cares deeply about his game. He loves hockey, he is very intense with it and he's very skilled. You put all the hard work together and add his skill into the game and the consistency that he's had the last few years, it's really propelled him quite a bit.”

“It’s an awesome and very well-deserved honor for him,” Lee added. “We’re excited for him and hope he has a great showing out in Toronto. It’ll be fun to watch.”