Schaefer Shines in NHL Debut: Islanders Praise Prospect After Loss

At PPG Paints Arena, Matthew Schaefer, along with his New York Islanders teammate, Maxim Shabanov, did the traditional solo lap before his NHL debut. Despite the Islanders’ 4-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the 18-year-old showed great confidence and composure. Selected in the June draft, Schaefer didn’t take long to show why the Islanders wanted him. At 12 minutes into the game, he had already recorded the first point of his career with a precise pass to Jonathan Drouin, whose shot tied the score.

“I think it was a great first game for us,” Schaefer commented after his debut, regretting the loss. “I just wish we had won.”

“Our team is very easy to make plays, everyone is in the right place. I found Drouin there, and it was an easy pass for him and, of course, he put it in the net”.

Matthew Schaefer

The Islanders coach, Patrick Roy, did not hesitate to give Schaefer minutes, who played more than seven minutes in the first period alone, finishing with 17:15 of total playing time.

“I think he was very good. It was good in the end. Throwing pucks at the net. I thought he looked very comfortable, very confident. So I’m very happy with him”.

Patrick Roy

With around 30 family members and friends present, Schaefer admitted to feeling nervous at first, but focused on the game. Despite not having the same expectations as Sidney Crosby two decades ago, Schaefer understands the importance of his arrival for a team looking to advance in the Metropolitan Division. After the match, Schaefer lamented the result, although the Islanders dominated the game and made 38 shots on goal. Despite some mistakes, the team showed speed and purpose, with Schaefer as a fundamental part.

“I think we gave it our all tonight. I wish we had won. I hate losing. Now we know and we’re going to learn from it and focus on our next game. But I think it was a great first game for us. I just wish we had won”.

Matthew Schaefer