The young defenseman Matthew Schaefer, 18 years old, will not easily forget his first goal in the NHL. The player, selected in the first position of this year’s draft, showed his determination by diving headfirst to score. After a scuffle in front of the net, Schaefer took advantage of a loose puck and propelled it past Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson at 4:28 of the third period, in the Islanders’ 4-2 loss on Saturday night.
It’s crazy, I love these fans. Hearing your name chanted there. It’s incredible, it feels like home for sure… We want to win for the fans and we want to be there every night for them. They come every night for us.
Matthew Schaefer
Although the goal reduced Washington’s lead, the Islanders failed to come back and suffered their second loss of the season.
Despite the defeat, it was a significant moment for the rookie, who joined the team a few months after being selected in the draft in Los Angeles.Schaefer’s performance has earned the full confidence of the coaching staff. After getting an assist for his first point in the NHL and logging 17:15 minutes of ice time in the Islanders’ 4-3 opening loss to Pittsburgh on Thursday, he had a game-high 26:04 of ice time in this game. Islanders coach Patrick Roy commented on Schaefer’s workload.To be honest, he dominated the game. He was our best player tonight. He was moving, obviously contributing. He’s very effective out there. He feels more and more comfortable in each game. He’s a special player, we’re lucky to have him.
Bo Horvat
Schaefer, at just 18 years old, has already proven his worth in the NHL, offering a glimpse of why the Islanders expect great things from him in the coming years.I’m not balancing anything right now with the way he’s playing. He forced me to play him, he forced us to play him, so we’re going to give him some time.
Patrick Roy
