If you don’t know the name Mathew Barzal, the New York Islanders center made his presence known on Saturday with an absolutely amazing goal during the second period of their game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Barzal, who has been a fan favorite on Long Island for some time, scored his ninth goal of the truncated season on a highlight-reel move that included evading a Sabres defender, juking goalie Rasmus Ristolainen and shooting the puck from behind after shuffling it through his legs.
The goal evened the score at 1-1 before the Isles pulled away for a 5-2 victory on the day, cementing their spot atop the Eastern Division. While there were no fans in Nassau Coliseum to see the amazing score, plenty of fans got to enjoy the action from home in anticipation of the day when they can see this star in person once again.
Barzel is no stranger to highlight reels. He won the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie in 2017–18, the fifth Islanders player to do so. And he’s currently in the middle of a reported three-year, $21 million contract with the team. If he keeps scoring goals like this, it’s hard not to imagine an extension coming any day now.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.