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Assists Come First For Mathew Barzal
- Updated: August 31, 2016
Mathew Barzal understands why so many people consider him more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer.
In three seasons with Seattle of the Western Hockey League, the 19-year-old center has 53 goals and 146 assists for 199 points in 161 games. Those statistics suggest Barzal thinks pass rather than shoot when he gets the puck.
“Goal-scoring for me is funny; I find it comes in bunches,” Barzal, the New York Islanders’ first pick (No. 16) in the 2015 NHL Draft, said Monday at the NHLPA’s Rookie Showcase. “I have had a tough time finding consistency when it comes to goal-scoring. I find I’ll go three or four games when I score five goals and then I go cold for a few nights. I just play the game; I’m looking to shoot and I’m looking to pass and I’m just trying to make the right play.”
Barzal led Seattle in scoring last season with 88 points (27 goals, 61 assists) in 58 games, good for 12th in the WHL. The 27 goals were 15 more than he scored in …
continue reading in source islanders.nhl.com
