Scouting Report
Mathew Barzal holds a +1.1% FO% edge overall. Look for Mercer on neutral-zone draws (71% H2H, 7 meetings). Mercer wins 44.6% vs right-shot opponents — Barzal shoots right.
Prediction Breakdown
Model
XGBoost ML Model
Overall FO% (Bayesian)
Mercer 41.9% vs Barzal 41.9% (-1.1%)
H2H factor
Not applied (9 meetings, need 10+)
Offensive zone
Barzal 51.5%
Defensive zone
Barzal 57.1%
Neutral zone
Barzal 52.6%
Result
Mathew Barzal favored at 53.6%
46.4%
53.6%
Mercer
Barzal
Head-to-Head Record
6
-
3
(9 meetings)
6
3
Mercer
Barzal
Last 9: Mercer 6-3 Barzal
Zone Breakdown
Defensive Zone
Even
1
1
Mercer
Barzal
2 total
Neutral Zone
Edge: Mercer
5
2
Mercer
Barzal
7 total
Situation Matchup
Situation
Mercer
Barzal
Edge
Even Strength
38.8% (263)
40.9% (469)
-2.1%
Power Play
35.3% (17)
34.2% (38)
+1.1%
Penalty Kill
54.5% (11)
28.6% (7)
+25.9%
On penalty kill, Mercer has a +25.9% edge.
Handedness & Splits
Handedness
Barzal shoots right. Mercer is 44.6% vs right-shot opponents (101).
Mercer shoots right. Barzal is 43.1% vs right-shot opponents (116).
Home / Away
Mercer
Barzal
Home
35.2% (145)
39.2% (250)
Away
43.2% (146)
41.3% (264)
By Period
Mercer
Barzal
P1
32.7%
46.3%
P2
42.7%
36.7%
P3
42.9%
38.5%
Final 5 min
39.2%
41.1%
Recent Form
Player
Last 50
Last 200
Career
Mercer
34.0%▼
36.5%
39.2%
Barzal
44.0%▬
45.0%
40.3%
Recent Faceoffs
| Date | Period | Time | Zone | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 6, 2026 | 3 | 04:49 | Defensive | Dawson Mercer |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 3 | 04:43 | Neutral | Dawson Mercer |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 3 | 04:23 | Neutral | Mathew Barzal |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 3 | 01:34 | Neutral | Mathew Barzal |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 2 | 15:04 | Defensive | Mathew Barzal |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 2 | 10:04 | Neutral | Dawson Mercer |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 2 | 09:47 | Neutral | Dawson Mercer |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 2 | 06:12 | Neutral | Dawson Mercer |
| Jan 6, 2026 | 1 | 12:13 | Neutral | Dawson Mercer |