Welcome to The Schaefer Show: 80 more episodes this season!
Matthew Schaefer of the Islanders celebrates his third period goal against the Washington Capitals with teammates Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair at UBS Arena on Saturday in Elmont. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The Islanders may not be good, or even interesting, this season, but with 80 games left, there already are the makings of at least one intriguing, ongoing storyline.
It is a chemistry experiment in which the reagent is an 18-year-old defenseman who has changed the equation in Elmont in a big way.
How the Islanders navigate it could help shape not only this season but the next 10.
The Matthew Schaefer hype had been a constant since the Islanders won the NHL Draft lottery in early May, but on Saturday night, things got more intense than ever.
That was when the young defenseman went from a potential star to an actual one, marking his regular-season home debut by being what his coach, his teammates and everyone else who watched the game recognized as the best player on the ice.
The highlight was his first NHL goal, 4:28 into the third period of what would be a 4-2 loss to the Capitals, a moment he and fans at UBS Arena celebrated in grand style.
As mid-October losses go, this was as memorable as it gets. But it also raised questions.
Let’s start off the ice: The Islanders, their fans and the media outlets that cover the team can’t get enough of this kid, whose personality, personal story and skills make him irresistible.
As a result, he has and will continue to get more attention than his more seasoned, more accomplished teammates.
When reporters were allowed into the home dressing room on Saturday night, 95% made a beeline to No. 48’s locker as other players observed the scene. OK, sure, Schaefer scored a goal. But even if he had not, he would have been the featured attraction.
After practice on Sunday, I asked coach Patrick Roy if he worried about the potential for jealousy or resentment. He bristled.
“If you ask me this question, it’s because you don’t know our team,” he said. “Our team is about team. No one will be jealous of a good hockey player.
“Actually, I think our vets have been so good to him. I mean, some brought him to their home for dinner. Some went to dinner with him. They’ve been taking care of him. They know how special he is. So when someone says things like this, they don’t know this dressing room.”
Fair enough. There is no current evidence of any such trouble, thanks in large part to Schaefer himself. He seems to be just the right blend of confident and modest.
When I asked him on Sunday about handling the attention, he said “pressure is a privilege,” then steered the conversation toward a teammate who was sitting within earshot nearby.
“At the end of the day, you just want to win,” Schaefer said. “I want to play amazing hockey with my ‘D’ partner Scott Mayfield, obviously such a great guy. When you have guys like that in the locker room, it’s awesome.”
What about on the ice? Schaeffer played 26:04 against the Capitals, an extraordinary figure that spoke to the confidence Roy already has in him. But is that workload sustainable?
Schaefer has shrugged off such concerns, saying he likes to play hockey, so the more the better. Roy said Schaefer’s play has earned him that time and added that he will continue to use him liberally.
“It’s tempting to play him the minutes,” Roy said after gushing again on Sunday about various aspects of Schaefer’s game. “But again, we’re going to be there for him. We’re going to give him whatever it takes for him to grow and learn. There are going to be moments where we’re going to pull [back] a little bit. But as of now, there’s no reason to do that.”
Regarding Schaefer’s demeanor, Roy said, “Very humble. Very even-keel. It’s funny, because he still wants to learn. It’s fun to watch.”
That is indisputable. Now it will be fun to watch how everyone involved handles this.
Notes & quotes: Roy changed up his lines in practice on Sunday, going with Jonathan Drouin-Bo Horvat-Emil Heineman, Anthony Duclair-Mathew Barzal-Kyle Palmieri, Anders Lee-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Max Shabanov and Simon Holmstrom-Casey Cizikas-Max Tsyplakov. “We lost the last two games,” Roy said. “Sometimes you need to try different things.” . . . Ilya Sorokin will start in goal against the Jets on Monday and most likely against the Oilers on Thursday. Asked if he has an ideal number of games for Sorokin in mind, Roy joked, “Other than 82?” But seriously, the coach said he has confidence in both Sorokin and David Rittich. Still, early in the season he wants to do everything he can to get wins at UBS Arena. “We want to win at home,” Roy said. “We have great fans. Our fan base deserves to see us winning some hockey games, so I want to make sure that Ilya gives us that best chance.” . . . The Capitals tried to rough up Schaefer a few times, including an elbow to the face by Jakob Chychrun that drew a penalty that led to an Islanders power-play goal. “It’s a contact sport, and things like that are going to happen,” Schaefer told Newsday. “We got a power play out of it. You just have to keep playing and you can’t worry about that stuff.” . . . Schaefer on whether he gets star-struck, given that three of his first four NHL games will be against Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and Connor McDavid: “You just kind of dial in and you just worry about the game and you want to win at the end of the day,” he told Newsday. He said of meeting Ovechkin: “It’s obviously pretty cool. He’s done a lot of great things in this league.”
Neil Best first worked at Newsday in 1982, returned in 1985 after a detour to Alaska and has been here since, specializing in high schools, college basketball, the NFL and most recently sports media and business.
