Barzal & Wahlstrom: Defensively Sound, Learning One Another’s Offensive Game

New York Islanders forwards Mathew Barzal, and Oliver Wahlstrom are not two players one would call defensive specialists. While both players are not inept defensively, their skills lie in the offensive zone, and that was Trotz’s biggest concern when he decided to pair Barzal and Wahlstrom together six games ago.

“My biggest fear is that, if it’s a chance fest, then we’re going to probably end up on the bottom end of those a lot of times,” Trotz said. “So we want to make sure it’s more in their court, you know, the chances for versus chances against so, so far, it’s been a good marriage.”

Since being united back on Mar. 13 against the Anaheim Ducks, Mathew Barzal and Oliver Wahlstrom, in 66:22 TOI (5 on 5) together, have not had the puck enter the back of their own net. The Islanders have played more in the offensive zone when they are both on the ice as they have outshot their opponents 47-37.

Over that span, Wahlstrom has only one turnover, 12 hits, two blocked shots, and leads the Islanders with four takeaways. Barzal has five giveaways in the six games, as he is usually the one with the puck on his stick, along with three takeaways.

And although the third player on the line in Zach Parise, a defensive-minded forward, and the defensemen have helped on the defensive side of the puck, it’s been a positive to see that the Barzal and Wahlstrom duo has not been a defensive liability.

Also, to add, neither Barzal nor Wahlstrom have taken a penalty.

What we have not seen since the two have been put together has been the elite offense many thought would come to fruition. That does not mean we won’t eventually see it.

In the six games, the duo has produced just one goal, with Zach Parise the one to hammer the puck home in the first game the line played together.

If we go back to that goal, it was a full line effort, where Wahlstrom got in on the forecheck, and Barzal used his creativity.

Barzal with the move and Parise with the finish 😍 pic.twitter.com/zqo6DP3GIv

— Isles on MSG+ (@IslesMSGN) March 13, 2022

Despite the lack of goals from the two, the chances have been there.

“I think, you know, we haven’t scored maybe a ton, but I personally like where our lines game’s at,” Mathew Barzal said. “I don’t know what our chance differential would be, but I feel like it’s probably through the roof. Probably could have 10 to 12 goals in our last four or five games and that’s not an exaggeration. I really feel like we’ve had some you know, a lot of great luck. So I do feel like the chemistry is there between the three of us, just got to find a way to get the puck in the back of the net.”

Wahlstrom leads the New York Islandes in not only 5 on 5 shots with nine over the past six games, but nine individual scoring chances and four individual high-danger scoring chances.

Although there is no stat to see who set up Wahlstrom for those chances and shots, it was likely Barzal. Although Barzal has not racked up the points, the shots, or any calculated offensive number, he has drawn two penalties over the last six games.

The two talented forwards are feeling one another’s game out as there needs to be a grace period for chemistry growth.

“The comfort level for me is getting better,” Trotz said. “They have been dangerous, (would) like a little more production. But yes, I will say that on every line, I want more production.”

“But no, they’ve been, you know, they’ve been getting chances. They’ve been producing that.”

For Oliver Wahlstrom, his best attribute is his shot. A perfect example of the growth is for Wahlstrom to think less, react more, when he skates alongside no. 13.

Barzal does an excellent job at drawing the opposition to him, which creates open ice for his teammates. And when Barzal finds Wahlstrom all alone in-tight or inside one of the circles, Wahlstrom needs to take the shot.

In the 4-2 win over the Dallas Stars this past Saturday, there was a play where Barzal found Wahlstrom near the right circle. Instead of shooting the puck immediately, he cut to the slot, and the chance went by the boards.

The same kind of play occurred in the 2-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers the following day, yet Wahlstrom let the shot go almost the second the puck landed on his stick.

The shot did sail high, but the thought process was correct.

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“The one thing that when playing with Barzal is that he’ll get you the puck. So sometimes, just get open, and he’ll find you,” Trotz said. That’s part of the process of learning to play. Instead of going to space, he’s (Wahlstrom) maybe going to support when he maybe doesn’t have to. That will come as he gets more reps with Barzal and Parise.”

Trotz also spoke on another area of Wahlstrom’s game that he needs to work on when playing with Barzal.

“There’s a little bit of, I’ll say, indecisiveness where, you know, am I shooting it or am I looking for something different?” Trotz said. “And while he’s a shooter, and, you know, we want him to shoot, he’s been getting shots…but it’s, it’s not coming off the stick right away.”

The New York Islanders newest tandem has high expectations. So far, they have not cashed in offensively, but overall they have played a solid two-way game, and right now, that may be the most important thing.

“I think, you know, we haven’t scored maybe a ton, but I personally like where our lines game’s at,” Mathew Barzal said. “I don’t know what our chance differential would be, but I feel like it’s probably through the roof. Probably could have 10 to 12 goals in our last four or five games and that’s not an exaggeration. I really feel like we’ve had some you know, a lot of great luck. So I do feel like the chemistry is there between the three of us, just got to find a way to get the puck in the back of the net.”

“That’s what it comes down to at the end of the day. So, got to find a way to do that.”

If their offensive game remained the same up to this point, while the Islanders struggled defensively when Barzal and Wahlstrom were on the ice, the duo would not have made it six games together.

The good news is that with 21 games remaining on the schedule, there is more than enough time before the regular season ends for Mathew Barzal and Oliver Wahlstrom to become comfortable, that way next season, these two, if together, could be the potential offensive one-two punch that everyone envisioned.