CHICAGO — Mathew Barzal heard the nice things that Patrick Kane, one of Barzal’s hockey idols, said about the Islanders rookie on Saturday morning and Barzal could barely contain himself.
“Honestly,” he said, “I’m shocked he even knows my name.”
Pretty sure that everyone in the NHL knows about Barzal by now, but his youthful enthusiasm at getting to face Kane for the first time on Saturday came from a place of pure joy. Barzal already got to face off against Sidney Crosby twice this season and Kane, the other superstar to whom Barzal has drawn comparisons, was just as big a thrill.