Matthew Schaefer recorded a goal and an assist for the New York Islanders in a hard-fought 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks at UBS Arena on Tuesday. The young defenseman showcased poise and skill as the Islanders secured their third consecutive victory.
The 18-year-old, selected first overall in the 2025 NHL Draft, extended his point streak to six games (two goals, five assists), joining Marek Zidlicky as the only defensemen in NHL history to record a point in each of their first six career games.
“I love winning. I hate losing. It’s even more fun winning with this team and this group of guys,” Schaefer said, according to NHL.com. “After the game, there’s a lot of happy guys in the room, and you feel good. But honestly, I mean, now we go back to work again, practice tomorrow, and then we have a game on Thursday, so go back to work, get our work boots on, and keep the streak going.”
Bo Horvat, Casey Cizikas, and Emil Heineman also scored for the Islanders, while Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots. For San Jose, Collin Graf, Adam Gaudette, and Macklin Celebrini scored, and Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves.
Schaefer’s historic start and game highlights
Graf gave the Sharks an early 1-0 lead with a short-handed goal at 8:29 of the first period. Horvat tied the game on a power-play goal at 9:26, and Cizikas followed just over a minute later to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead. Gaudette evened the score at 2-2 before Heineman gave New York a 3-2 advantage late in the period.
Schaefer extended the lead to 4-2 in the second period after receiving a pass from Anthony Duclair and firing a shot past Askarov. Celebrini narrowed the gap to 4-3 in the third, but the Islanders held on for the win.
With this streak, Schaefer joined elite company, becoming the fourth 18-year-old in NHL history to start a career with a six-game point streak alongside Alexandre Daigle, Sidney Crosby, and Wayne Gretzky. He also became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to score a game-winning goal at 18 years, 46 days.
Islanders build momentum with balanced play
Coach Patrick Roy praised his team’s performance on both ends of the ice. “I thought Ilya made some really good saves, especially in the first period, where we were not at our best. He kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win. Matthew had a great game as well, probably his best since he’s been here,” Roy said.
SURVEY Who impressed more in the Islanders’ win over the Sharks?
Who impressed more in the Islanders’ win over the Sharks?
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With confidence building and young stars like Schaefer making an immediate impact, the Islanders are aiming to carry this momentum through the early stages of the season and continue climbing the standings.