Mat Barzal scores NHL goal of the year against Buffalo Sabres (Video)

Islanders star Mat Barzal dropped jaws around the league against the Buffalo Sabres, scoring the easy favorite for goal of the year.

We all know how much of a star Mat Barzal has become for the New York Islanders, but on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres, Barzal showed just how skilled he really is by producing what is easily the goal of the year so far in this NHL season.

Down 1-0 to the Sabres early in the second period, Barzal turned the game on its head by easily shaking off Rasmus Ristolainen for a breakaway and juking poor goaltender Carter Hutton with a dazzling between the legs move as he cut through the crease, tying the game and sending shockwaves throughout the league.

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It’s the kind of goal you can never see enough times, from any angle.

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Mat Barzal’s goal helped the Islanders roll to an easy win

The goal was Barzal’s ninth goal of the season, and an assist later in the game on an Anders Lee goal would give the 23-year-old a solid 22 points in 24 games this season, which is on pace for 51 points in a 56-game season, and 75 in a normal 82-game regular season.

The Islanders would go on to win the game over the Sabres by a final score of 5-2, which no doubt was sparked by the Barzal goal that would be the first of four unanswered in the second period for the Islanders that would put the game out of reach. The win gave the Islanders the top spot in the East division with 32 points, and an 11-2-2 record in their last 15 games.

There’s already been a few contenders for goal of the year, like this absurd Connor McDavid goal, but this one from Barzal easily takes the cake. It’ll take something truly special to knock this one off the top spot.