Matthew Schaefer Kept His Draft Night Word — Islanders Sweep Rangers
The No. 1 overall pick said on draft night that he wants to beat the Rangers every time he plays them. He kept his word as the Islanders swept the season series.
NEW YORK, NY — When we spoke with New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer after he heard his name called in Los Angeles, he was asked who he looked forward to facing as he began his NHL career.
“I’m saying Rangers. I heard there’s a big rivalry. I want to play against the Rangers, and I want to beat them every time we play them.”
Seven months later, Schaefer and his Islanders teammates accomplished that feat, holding on for a 2-1 win to take the season series 4-0-0. This win came on the second leg of a back-to-back against the Rangers, knocking off the Blueshirts 5-2 at UBS Arena on Wednesday.
Happy Free Friday!
It was just the third time in franchise history that the Islanders have swept the season series. But it marked the first time ever that they won all four games in regulation.
They went 3-0-1 in 2015-16 and 2017-18.
Not only that, but the Rangers never led at any point in any game this season.
Schaefer was asked postgame about that quote above, about keeping his promise.
“It’s so fun. You want to beat them every time. It’s a playoff game from here on out. Especially against the Rangers, you want to get those two points. It’s fun when you’re beating them.”
Schaefer did score in the game, his 14th of the season. It was a wicked wrister over Jonathan Quick’s right pad at 18:53 of the second:
Here’s what Patrick Roy had to say about Schaefer’s goal:
“He’s got a pretty good, quick release. On this one, I will say this. We got to give some credit to Simon Holmstrom, because he did a really nice job [screening Quick]. But again, it was well placed. I mean, it reminds me of the wrister by Ray Bourque. Ray always kept it just above the pad, and that was his thing he seemed to do years ago, and then now Schaefer, he seems to do the same thing.”
With that goal, Schaefer passed the legendary Bobby Orr for the second-most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history.
“Who’s that?” Schaefer joked. He now trails Phil Housley, who scored 17 as an 18-year-old during the 1982-83 season with the Buffalo Sabres, before adding another two after turning 19.
Schaefer isn’t 19 until next September.
“He’s a name,” Schaefer said.
The rookie phenom also passed Islanders legend and Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Denis Potvin with his fourth game-winner this season, the most by a rookie defenseman in team history. Schaefer is now three goals awy from tying Potvin for the most goals from a rookie defenseman in franchise history. Potvin was 20 when he accomplished that feat in 1973-74.
“Saying all those names, it’s crazy because they’re going to go down as some of the best defensemen to ever play. Obviously, Potvin playing for the Islanders is pretty cool. Everyone knows him. He’s created a great legacy with the Islanders and everything. You don’t really think about it that much, but when those names pop up, and you hear those names, it’s an honor to be with those guys and things like that and see what they’ve done.”
Islanders captain Anders Lee looks at this season series sweep as revenge.
“It feels good. We played four good hockey games. Still gotta put it all together and get some bounces here and there. But to take four, it’s a good feeling. No doubt. I think we owed them one. Last year didn’t go our way, so maybe we evened it up a little bit in the last couple. There wasn’t much out there tonight. I thought they were much better defensively, and we’re much better coming back. There wasn’t a ton out there. We had to get pucks to the net and create some havoc. And we finally did that at the end of the second, and broke through a little bit. And that was kind of the difference.”
Funny enough, but had the Rangers lost once to the Islanders last season, they would have won the draft lottery and selected Schaefer.
Not only did the Islanders sweep the Rangers. But the win allowed the Islanders to stay tied in points with the second-place Pittsburgh Penguins at 65, who hold the tie-breaker as they have played two fewer games.
But, wait, there’s more.
The win also allowed the Islanders to stay six points ahead of the Washington Capitals, who sit with 59. They are now up seven points on the New Jersey Devils (58), eight points up on the Columbus Blue Jackets (57), and the Philadelphia Flyers (57).
The draft night promise angle is brilliant bc it creates instant narrative weight that compounds with each win. Most rookies play it safe publicly but Schaefer embraced the rivalry mythology immediately which accelerates his integration into team culture. Passing Orr at 18 while delivering on that promise is the kind of momentum that can define an entire carrer trajectory early.
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