Averaging just over five goals a game, there's no secret that Penn State's offense has been the firepower that has sparked the Nittany Lions to a 10-3 start and a No. 6 ranking thus far.
But the catalyst for that offense has come off the stick of Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa.), a true sophomore who has had the opposite of a sophomore slump so far for the Blue and White.
"There's a couple really big parts of his game that have improved greatly," head coach Guy Gadowsky said. "And those two specifically are his stick penalties, and the other aspect is that he's been high-performing and high production.
"He's been night and day different, and the only penalties he gets now are aggressive ones. Evan has worked extremely hard at that and I think he deserves a ton of credit."
Barratt, a third-round draft pick (90th overall) by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, currently leads the nation in points with 21, and has been part of Penn State's most productive scoring line thus far with Barratt centering a line that features Alex Limoges (Winchester, Va.) and Liam Folkes (Scarborough, Ontario) on the left and right wings respectively.
"We just enjoy going out there," Barratt said about his line. "We know that every game we need to make a difference and an impact on the game. This year especially, we have that mindset that we need to do something every period, and I know for us three we're excited about how the season has started so far."
Thus far, the trio have combined to become three of Penn State's top four scorers. Limoges has put up 20 points, while Folkes has added 16.
The combined 23 goals from Barratt's line thus far on the season puts the line by itself ahead of 12 other Division I teams in terms of goal-scoring around the country.
"We've done it for this long so far, and we've been working on things every day to help the rate we're scoring at," Barratt said. "I don't feel like it will slow down, and it's pretty fine to keep scoring at the rate we are, nearly five and a half goals per game."
"He's playing with a lot less risk than he did last year, and I think that line deserves a lot of credit together," Gadowsky said about Barratt's line. "They've fed off each other, but for such a high-producing line, they are very low-risk. For Evan in those two areas, his game is night and day from where it was last year."
Goaltender Peyton Jones (Langhorne, Pa.) grew up not far from Barratt in the Philadelphia area, and has played both on his team and against him. Jones has seen first-hand the development in Barratt's game, as he elevated himself to a nationally elite scorer.
"I've actually known him for a while, we grew up five minutes apart from each other," Jones said. "I think just the confidence aspect is huge, he works super hard and he trusts the work he puts in. Last year was him getting settled as a true freshman, so I think it's an adjustment to make, but his hard work and everything he does off the ice is paying off this year on the ice."
While many goaltenders would lament the idea of facing the nation's top-scoring line each day in practice, Jones has welcomed the idea of facing tough competition from his teammates.
"In practice, you know you're going up against some of the best forwards in the country every day and I love it," Jones said.
"It's a challenge for me to face them, so I look at it in practice as getting to improve against the top scorers in the country. It makes me better as a goalie, and in-game I have confidence that guys will score goals which gives me confidence in net."
Barratt admitted that it was a tough initial adjustment to the speed of college hockey, but going through growing pains last season has made him stronger as a player, both mentally and physically.
"Coming off my first year, I've just been building confidence and getting to understand our systems more, and being more comfortable with the guys I play with," Barratt said. "So it has been a stepping stone from last year, it's definitely been really exciting to be a part of and I hope we keep it up."
Gadowsky also mentioned that he's been impressed by the energy that Barratt brings to the ice, while appreciating how the sophomore is taking fewer risks with the puck and in his own zone.
"It's very difficult to do, be both high-energy and low-risk," Gadowsky said. "It sounds easy, but it has a lot to do with hockey IQ and commitment to the team and how we play. I think his line has taken that to heart. It takes a very high IQ player, and very skilled players to play in that environment and they've done a great job of that."
Barratt knows he has talent, especially as an NHL draft pick, but the synergy and point totals his line has produced have even surprised the most optimistic of believers.
"At this point, this season has really exceeded my expectations," Barratt said. "I knew what I was capable of doing, and it has been really cool to see it pay off in the way that it has so far."
As the Nittany Lions get ready to travel to Madison, Wis. and take on the Wisconsin Badgers this weekend, Barratt knows his line will have to continue to elevate their play against Big Ten competition.
"Big Ten play definitely takes it to a whole different level," Barratt said. "Last year and especially this year, every team in the conference is good and can win on any given night. Going into the weekend, you know there will be two really good hockey games so we'll take it one day at a time."
