Barzal, Boeser discuss Calder Trophy race

New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal and Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser are first and second in NHL rookie scoring heading into the All-Star break, and appear to be the favorites for the Calder Trophy, which is awarded to the top rookie in the League.
Barzal, 20, was born in Coquitlam, British Columbia, which is about 30 miles from Vancouver; he leads NHL rookies with 51 points (16 goals, 35 assists). Boeser, 20, is from Burnsville, Minnesota. He leads NHL rookies with 24 goals and is second in points (43).

Their rookie scoring race has played out over social media, with Canucks fans and Islanders fans throwing their posts behind their hometown hero.
"That is definitely a weird one," Boeser said. "That I'm on his hometown team and they were his favorite team growing up. But I think this makes it more fun for him, for sure."
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Said Barzal: "It's kind of funny, actually. I was up in Vancouver for a couple of days over the break. It's all you hear about up there. It's pretty cool, it's pretty funny. It's where I'm from and I grew up watching the Canucks, and for him to be on the Canucks … yeah, it's pretty cool the way it worked out."
Barzal and Boeser played against each other for the first time in the NHL on Nov. 28, a 5-2 Islanders win at Barclays Center. The only point scored between the two of them was an assist by Barzal.
Boeser will play in the 2018 Honda NHL All-Star Game at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday (3:30 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVA Sports). The Islanders and Canucks will play for the second time this season at Rogers Arena on March 5.
NHL.com caught up with Boeser and Barzal to get their thoughts on the Calder race and each other.

How hard is it to not pay attention to the race?

Boeser:"I try not to focus on it but obviously when Barzal is putting up three-point games, it's hard not to notice. I know what I have to do to play my game. It's obviously a big award at the end of the year but I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about my play within my team game."
Barzal:"It's pretty hard actually, because it's kind of everywhere. But it's fun. Obviously, Brock and [Arizona Coyotes forward] Clayton [Keller], even [Boston Bruins defenseman] Charlie McAvoy, everyone's having a great season. It's pushing me, man. It's making me push myself just knowing they're having good seasons, and I'm doing the same. I think it's good for everybody, actually."

Do you know each other?

Boeser:"I know him a little bit. I met him at the [NHL Scouting] Combine. I played against him growing up, in summer tournaments and stuff. He's been that good of a player since he was a little kid."
Barzal: "I actually did get to know him a little bit at the NHL Combine. I remember twice we hung out. He's a good guy."

Do you watch his games often?

Boeser:"No, I honestly never get to see any other NHL games."
Barzal:"Yeah, I do. I watch everybody. I keep a pretty close eye on the NHL."

Give us your scouting report on him.

Boeser:"I'd say he's probably one of the best skaters in the League. He's a two-way guy and he competes super hard. He's super-skilled and I think he loves winning. He's had that attitude his whole life and just playing against him growing up, he's always been one of the best in the whole world for our age group, so it doesn't surprise me to see the success he's having."
Barzal:"I mean, the first thing that comes to mind is his shot. His release, he probably has one of the better shots in the entire League. But I think the biggest thing about him is his positional IQ. He puts himself in the right spots. He's always in areas to shoot and get good passes. That's how he creates a lot of his offense. That's how I see it; he's always in the right spots and always looking to shoot. He's just a big power winger."

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If there's a significant difference between you two, what would it be?

Boeser:"I think we are different players. Obviously, he's a better skater and he can really use his speed well in the game. I'm not as good a skater as him and I think I have to make plays in different areas where he can stickhandle through guys, stuff like that. I rely heavily on my shot when I have a chance to use that."

Barzal:"I think our styles are a little bit different. I'm a centerman, he's a winger. I would love to play with him. I feel like our games would fit together on a line pretty nicely. I'm a skating centerman, he's a winger, he's a sniper. You need both."

How much more comfortable do you feel now as opposed to opening night?

Boeser:"I think I've come a long way on the confidence side of things. Just looking at last year, I think that experience helped me a ton and just learning from that, it prepared me for the summer, so I knew how to prepare for this year. Once I got into this year, it's been more about maintaining my body, making sure I'm strong and working on the right things and then it became about the confidence, once you're playing good hockey with good linemates, it started going well … and that made it a little easier to play the game."
Barzal:"Much more comfortable. Just getting back to stuff like how I used to play in junior a little bit offensively and having that comfortability on the ice. I'm playing minutes with special players I get to play with here in New York and learn a lot from. It's been a great ride so far and I feel comfortable every day."

How important is it to you to win the award?

Boeser:"I try not to worry about it, honestly. I just focus on what I can do within our team and if I have a chance to win at the end of the year, then great. If not, I'm not worried about that side of things. My play within the team game is more important."
Barzal:"Honestly, it's something that's just there because it is an award. There's a lot of talk about it, but at the end of the day, I'll take being in the playoffs and playing in big-time games over winning the Calder Trophy. I'm here to win. I may be just a rookie, but my goal at the end of my career is to have a Stanley Cup, not a Calder Trophy. I'm just trying to help this team progress and hopefully we work towards that."