Mathew Barzal is pumped after his overtime goal gave Islanders a 3-0 series lead. Credit: Getty Images/Elsa
Coaching, playing with and watching Mathew Barzal always is an adventure, because no Islander has quite his skill set, and no Islander is quite as unpredictable.
This mostly is a good thing for all concerned, what with the third-year center having won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie and been named to back-to-back All-Star Games.
He even is the reigning fastest skater in the NHL, based on February’s skills competition.
But at 23, he still is a work in progress, like all 23-year-olds.