Barzal finds chemistry with Crosby, Letang in All-Star Game victory

SAN JOSE -- Mathew Barzal was the young gun playing alongside two three-time Stanley Cup champions on Saturday, but the New York Islanders forward was far from the third wheel in the combination that helped the Metropolitan Division win the $1 million prize in the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game at SAP Center.

In fact, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Sidney Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang credited the 21-year-old Barzal with being the driving force in a 10-5 win against the Central Division in the 3-on-3 tournament's championship game. Barzal and Crosby each had two goals and three assists in the final. Letang had a goal and two assists.
Barzal's speed and puck-handling were a perfect complement to the chemistry Crosby and Letang have formed over their 13 seasons as teammates in Pittsburgh.
RELATED: [Crosby, Barzal have five points each, Metropolitan wins All-Star Game | Complete All-Star Game coverage]
"The way he holds onto the puck, the way he skates, 3-on-3, I mean, I don't know if there is anyone better when it comes to holding onto it," Crosby said. "The way he can just beat you 1-on-1, beat you with his speed, hold onto it, you know, watching him out there against the best, and I don't see anyone that really beats him in that category.
"Five-on-5, he's able to do that, so 3-on-3 with all that ice, seeing that firsthand, I've seen that a lot and today was another example of that."

Letang said, "You already have a chemistry going and we added a tremendous player with Mathew, who was just skating everywhere carrying the puck. I was just staying back making sure there was nothing happening behind us."
Barzal, who had one assist in the Metropolitan Division's 7-4 win against the Atlantic Division in the semifinals, was equally thrilled to play with Crosby and Letang.
"Sid just kind of said, 'Grab it and get us up the ice and he'll find a spot,' so, it was kind of cool," Barzal said. "Those guys would pass me the puck and they were working to get open and I was just trying to find them."
Sitting next to Crosby in the locker room was also exciting for Barzal, who leads the Islanders with 45 points (14 goals, 31 assists) in 49 games. He said the Penguins captain made him feel comfortable right away.
"It's obviously cool," Barzal said. "I had a chance to skate with him this summer and that was surreal, so coming here, he's such a nice guy and such a good guy to learn from. Just really cool me for me."

Crosby, who was voted the All-Star Game's most valuable player by fans, missed the 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills on Friday because he was sick. But Metropolitan Division coach Todd Reirden of the Washington Capitals spoke with Letang about Barzal playing with Letang and Crosby in the 3-on-3 tournament. Reirden knows Letang and Crosby well from his four seasons (2010-14) as a Penguins assistant coach and figured Barzal would be a good fit with them.
"Sid likes to speed type of wingers that can create for him and that worked out, so I mentioned Barzal would be an option," Reirden said. "[Letang] said, 'I'm going to tell Sid right now. He'll be here tomorrow for sure if he knows he can play with someone that will do all the skating.'"
Barzal arrived in San Jose riding a wave of success with the surprising Islanders (29-15-5), who are in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points after failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past two seasons and losing captain John Tavares to the Toronto Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2018. Winning the All-Star Game and getting six points (two goals, four assists) in the two games continued Barzal's joy ride.
"It's obviously something I'm not going to forget," Barzal said. "I had my parents here this week, which is great. It's just been really fun lately. Our Islander team has been doing well and to come here and do well and get a chance to play with Sid and Letang and (Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux) and some new faces, it's been a blast."