CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The NHL All-Star Game can make for strange bedfellows, indeed.
It was just two months ago, on a Saturday night in San Jose, that Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang were making magic with Mathew Barzal. That trio, assembled by Capitals coach Todd Reirden at the request of Crosby and Letang, combined for eight goals and 11 assists to propel the Metropolitan Division to the All-Star Game title.
Without the Islanders' second-year center, who knows? Maybe Crosby and Letang don't pocket $90,000 each, their share of the $1 million pot. Maybe Crosby doesn't become the sixth player in league history to win the Hart, Conn Smythe and All-Star Game MVP or the shiny, new SUV that came with it.
But Crosby didn't need some 3-on-3 tournament to recognize Barzal's game. He saw it firsthand last season when Barzal was a landslide winner for the Calder, and saw it again this season. In eight regular-season games against the Penguins, Barzal has two goals and four assists. Two of those assists came in New York's 6-3 win in Brooklyn on Oct. 30 when the 21-year-old absolutely shredded the Penguins' defense. This year's All-Star game experience did give Crosby a greater appreciation though:
"I think just how well he skates," Crosby was telling me. "You play against him, but it's different when you try and play with him and try and read off of him, the way he turns and cuts back and keeps his speed. That's something I already knew, but I think I probably appreciate it being a little bit closer."
Well, hold on to your hockey socks because Crosby and Letang are about to get an extended look at Barzal when the Penguins open up the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday night at Nassau Coliseum.
This will be Barzal's first taste of postseason play and his team's first in three seasons. Though the Islanders' identity is their defense and keeping opponents off the scoreboard, they can score a little bit too. New York averages just 2.72 goals per game, 22nd in the NHL, but imagine where they'd be without Barzal?
After John Tavares broke Long Islanders' hearts, Barzal has had to carry the organization both on and off the ice. But fuhgettabout what Isles fans were chanting Feb. 28 during Tavares' raucous return to the Island. "Barzy" is not better. It would have been kind of hard, if not impossible, for him to duplicate Tavares' 47 goals and 88 points with the Leafs this season. But he is a dynamic playmaker who uses his speed and exceptional stick-handling to create chances for himself and his team.
"They're pretty dynamic up front with I'd say, probably, one of, if not the best, D-men in Letang," Barzal told reporters in New York. "They have a lot of pieces. But, hey, we finished second for a reason. This group battles. We have a lot of competitors on this team, we've practiced hard all year and have proven ourselves and beat good teams all year. We're excited for the opportunity."
After putting up 22 goals and 85 points in his Rookie of the Year season, Barzal's production dipped to 18 goals and 62 points this year. He's scored just one goal in the last 24 games and has just three assists in the last 10. Still, Barzal's 200-foot game has improved and he's always a threat every time he has the puck on his stick.
"Lots of speed, lots of skill," Olli Maatta was telling me. "It's going to be important to just be aware when he's on the ice."
Obviously, Barzal will have some help with him on the Islanders' top line with left winger Anders Lee and right winger Jordan Eberle. Lee led New York with 28 goals (10 on the power play), while Eberle chipped in 37 points. The Penguins' top line of Crosby, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust are quite familiar with those guys too.
During the spring of 2015, Crosby was Eberle's linemate on Team Canada's gold medal-winning team at the IIHF World Championship. Bryan Rust was Lee's teammate at Notre Dame and even attended his wedding last summer. In the off-season, Lee plays in a Minnesota summer league with Guentzel.
Lee, the Islanders' first-year captain, scored a career-high 40 goals last season and is a force in front of the net. He never scored more than 24 goals in a season with the Fighting Irish, but Rust said he always knew that the 6-foot-3, 231-pound power-forward's game would translate to the NHL.
"When you saw him in college, he gets his offense the same way he does now," Rust was telling me. "He plays hard and he goes to the front of the net and he's really good with his stick with tips and rebounds. Anytime you have a big body like that, you know they're going to be successful based on just how hard he works."
However, it remains to be seen whether Barry Trotz will look to match his first line against the Penguins' top line. Crosby and Barzal were on the ice together for 16:19 at 5-on-5 during the regular season with Crosby winning the matchup. The Penguins had a 13-6 edge in shots -- for a 67.65 Corsi For percentage advantage -- and a 2-0 edge in goals.
"There's some serious buzz going on in the city. These fans deserve it. They've been great for us all year. We couldn't be happier that we're back at the Coliseum." @barzal_97 #Isles pic.twitter.com/kjxdE0siRT
— x - New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 8, 2019
"We had some good games against them," Barzal said. "Obviously, they beat us pretty good in Pittsburgh when the one game got away from us. Other than that, it's exciting. They've got guys that won three Cups and there's no better competitor in the game of hockey than Crosby. For a young guy like me, it's going to be fun."
However, Trotz rolls all four of his lines fairly evenly. Crosby's seen a good bit of the Islanders' other three centers. He was matched against Brock Nelson for 19:30 this season, followed by Casey Cizikas at 16:16 and Valtteri Filppula at 14:15.
Though Mike Sullivan is not big on matchups, it would stand to reason that he will try to get Letang on the ice as much as he can to counter Barzal's speed. Letang was on the ice against Barzal for 10:04 this season at 5-on-5 with a 47.37 Corsi For percentage while the Penguins outscored New York 1-0.
"I'm sure Trotzy is going to look for certain matchups, as are we," Sullivan said when I asked about the Islanders' balance. "But I think when you look at their team and how they're built, and you look at our team and how we're built, it's not always about matchups. It's about execution and it's about a game-plan. I just think we're going to focus on our team and our game. We're going to try and put our guys in the best position to go out and execute."
Trotz's balanced attack has certainly helped get the Islanders to where they are. But if they are to advance, they'll need Barzal to lead the way.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Penguins practice, Cranberry, Pa., April 8, 2019 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS