A Backhanded Compliment

As far as backhanded compliments go, Mathew Barzal and Jordan Eberle got a pretty good - a literal - one from head coach Doug Weight.
"They have a real good ability to use both sides of their sticks and it's a tremendous weapon the game is so fast and there's so much reach," Weight said. "They have good backhands, that's for sure."

Barzal's backhand was on display on back-to-back nights this week, roofing the game-deciding goal in Monday's shootout win over Florida and flipping his eighth of the season past Andrei Vasilevskiy the next night.
The Islanders rookie has a well-stocked offensive toolkit, from his skating, hockey IQ and passing, but he's shown that his backhander is becoming a valuable tool as well.
"It's a big asset especially playing in the middle of the ice," Barzal said. "If you can use your backhand it's just more unpredictable so that just something I've been working on for a while."

It's an effective passing tool for the gifted playmaker and he looks just as comfortable dishing with either side of his stick. Weight said Barzal has a knack for keeping some flatness on his backhand passes. Barzal's utilized it on two-on-ones, like when he casually flipped a backhand pass over a diving Nikita Zadorov to Jordan Eberle against the Colorado Avalanche earlier this season.
"It's just tougher to read for d-men," Barzal said. "Especially if you're coming up the ice, looking up and throw a backhand pass, it's a little bit more deceptive than a forehand pass."
The curve - or lack thereof - on Barzal's stick is one key to an effective backhand. He and Eberle both use a flatter curve, which helps elevate the puck quickly. It comes in handy for little saucer passes over a stick, as well as around the net when goalies are protecting the bottom half of the net.
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"I have a pretty straight curve, which is pretty rare in the league nowadays," said Eberle. "You look at Sidney Crosby's curve, it's pretty straight and we both have good backhands. I think it has something to do with that. It's tougher to raise a backhand if you have a big curve. There's pros and cons to each."
(Crosby also uses a straighter curve on his stick and Barzal cited him and former Red Wings ace Pavel Datsyuk as two of the best off the backhand.)
Eberle scored a gorgeous backhander against the Buffalo Sabres in the Islanders' second-last preseason tune-up, going off the back bar from the bottom of the circle. He scored another one two weeks ago in Ottawa, finding a better angle in the slot with a quick move from forehand to backhand.

Eberle said he treats it like a snap shot, forgoing the big sweeping windup - the Errol Thompson as Weight calls it - for a quick release. He still has some pretty good zip on it though.
"They take it in from inside and not just from a shot, but they can get it up quick and be further away from the goaltender," Weight said. "That's what that lie and that short stick does."
Weight also said Anders Lee has a sneaky good backhand and part of the reason he can sweep so many rebounds in tight is that he doesn't need to get the puck onto his forehand. Of course, being one of the strongest players in front of the net plays a big role. It's a different approach, but effective nonetheless.
Eberle said he feels backhands aren't as prevalent in today's game, but that may just work out in his favor.
"For whatever reason it's died a bit and that's worked to my advantage a little bit because goalies aren't ready for it," Eberle said. "I think it's a shot goalies find hard to read, they don't really know where it's going. I don't know the reason that is, but I've always felt comfortable going to it."