New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal credits watching his veteran teammates for his early success as a rookie in the NHL.
Barzal called into On Point on Sportsnet 650 on Monday, where he said he isn’t surprised by his early success because of the linemates he’s been skating with.
“I’m grateful I’ve been given a pretty good opportunity on a pretty good line with Andrew Ladd and Jordan Eberle,” Barzal said on On Point on Sportsnet 650. “So I think I’m not surprised just more grateful that things have gone well.”
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Barzal, a first-round pick by the Islanders in 2015, is off to a hot start this year. In 23 games, the Coquitlam, B.C., native has six goals and 17 assists.
He’s especially found chemistry with Eberle who the Islanders acquired in a trade during the off-season. Out of Eberle’s nine goals this season, six have been assisted on by Barzal.
“[Eberle’s] so good, a great guy,” Barzal said. “He’s just a really skilled player, loves to play give-and-go and he’s such a good goal scorer too.
“We’ve had some chemistry together and had some good games and hopefully we can keep that going.”
Barzal was also asked about teammate John Tavares and if there’s anything the captain does that he tries to copy.
“Just work ethic,” Barzal said. “I probably sound like a broken tape recorder now but he works so hard every day and he just tries to get better every single day. That’s just pretty cool to see one of the best players in the NHL doing that day in and day out.
“That’s something I try to bring as well.”
You can listen to the rest of the interview below, which includes Barzal offering his opinion on an NHL team coming to Seattle, where he played with the WHL’s Seattle Thunderbirds.
