Islanders' Matthew Schaefer scores in overtime to extend winning streak to four
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer celebrates his overtime winning goal against the Mammoth on Friday in Salt Lake City, Utah. Credit: Getty Images/Chris Gardner
SALT LAKE CITY — Twice, No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer hobbled back to the Islanders’ bench, once in the second period after going hard to the ice tangled with Kevin Stenlund and again in the third after blocking a shot.
Twice, he didn’t miss a shift.
And then he made NHL history.
Schaefer, who turned 18 on Sept. 5, supplanted Sidney Crosby as the youngest player in NHL history to score in overtime. His one-timer from the right circle off Mathew Barzal’s feed allowed the Islanders to edge the Mammoth, 3-2, on Friday night at Delta Center and improve to 4-0-0 on their seven-game road trip. They’ve won three straight in overtime.
“I’m feeling it for sure,” said Schaefer, who connected at 2:06 of the extra period. “Definitely not leaving the game. Day off [Saturday], I’m definitely going to be icing my legs and getting ready for the next game.”
The Islanders (10-6-2), coming off Thursday night’s 4-3 overtime win in Vegas, again shrugged off a sluggish start thanks to a 5-for-6 penalty kill — Utah scored on a two-man advantage — and 27 saves from David Rittich in his first start in four games.
It truly was a team effort in the comeback.
It’s just that everything Schaefer does seems to turn out special.
He logged a game-high 25:49 and scored his seventh goal in 18 games. Schaefer leads all NHL rookies with 15 points.
“He’s a great player, unbelievable,” said Rittich, who earned his first win since Oct. 23. “I don’t think I have to say much more. Eighteen-year-old kid playing that way with that much confidence tells you just everything.”
Schaefer shrugged off the pain.
“It’s something that stings right off the bat and then you’ve got to suck it up,” he said. “I got beat up by my brother [Johnny] when I was younger, I think that’s like every older brother. So he’s toughening me up in a way.”
But the Islanders wouldn’t have gotten to Schaefer’s heroics without Rittich keeping the score close. He made seven saves with Utah (10-7-1) skating five-on-four and allowed only Dylan Guenther’s blast from the left circle on a two-man advantage as the Mammoth took a 2-1 lead at 18:35 of the first period.
Defensemen Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock and Alexander Romanov and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau each played more than four minutes on the penalty kill. Bo Horvat logged 3:58.
“That was kind of a crazy game,” Horvat said. “There wasn’t a lot of five-on-five time out there. Our penalty kill was phenomenal tonight and our No. 1 star was Rittich. We just found a way to get it done. It’s not always going to be pretty. It’s a tough back-to-back.”
Utah’s other goal was JJ Peterka’s tip-in at the left post at 11:41 of the first period.
“Those are the wins that go a long way and you get in the playoffs late in the year, you remember games like this,” said Barzal, whose assist on Schaefer’s winner moved him into a tie with John Tonelli for seventh on the franchise list with 338. “Shout-out to David Rittich. He was an absolute monster tonight.
“There’s just a belief in here right now that we can win anywhere and any kind of game. High-flying or grindy like tonight when we don’t have our legs.”
Jonathan Drouin tied it at 2-2 at 13:44 of the third period on a goal that was reviewed to see if he kicked it into the crease. A lengthy look determined the puck went in off Utah defenseman Nate Schmidt.
Karel Vejmelka stopped 18 shots for Utah (10-7-1).
Rittich had to make nine saves in the first six minutes before Emil Heineman opened the scoring for a second straight game with a backhander from the slot at 7:13 of the first period.
Notes & quotes: Horvat’s assist on Schaefer’s winner extended his point streak to eight games (six goals, six assists) . . . Defenseman Tony DeAngelo, still angry after a hooking call against him at 5:47 of the third period, was given a 10-minute misconduct as Drouin’s goal was being reviewed. “We don’t support that,” coach Patrick Roy said. “But it happens. We don’t want to have those situations with the referees.” . . . Defenseman Scott Mayfield remained on Long Island with family and missed his second game.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
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