Just to get this question out of the way, yes, Mathew Barzal will admit that he's a little bit nervous as he prepares for his first Stanley Cup playoff experience.
"It's good to have a little bit of nerves, I think," Barzal said Monday, after the Islanders practiced at the Northwell Health Ice Center in preparation for Game 1 of their first-round series Wednesday at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum against the Pittsburgh Penguins. "Good nerves, excited nerves. And also, you've got to be just nervous in general when you're out there just playing hard. And you don't want to be that guy that messes up, so you've got to be out there just playing hard and just real focused. When you're nervous, your focus really kicks in."
Barzal understands that this is his time to step it up. When John Tavares left last summer, this became his team, and the pressure was on for him to prove he could lead the Islanders into the playoffs. Now that they're there, the pressure is on Barzal to help them do something in those playoffs.
