The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the New York Islanders 4-2 on Sunday thanks to three third-period goals. But multiple hits and a scrum involving rookie Matthew Schaefer took the headlines. Blue Jackets forward Mason Marchment laid two hits on Schaefer, which ended in a scrum and Mathew Barzal's ejection. Marchment spoke with Jeff Svoboda of BlueJackets.com about the scrum.

“I'm kind of used to it by now. It's part of my game to try to get in the other teams' head a little bit. You know, I was never trying to hurt (Schaefer) there in the middle, just get in his way. Probably not smart by me,” Marchment said.

Schaefer skates the puck out of the defensive zone and is wiped out by Marchment, who took a tripping penalty. It was the second time the two skaters collided, and the Islanders took exception to this one. Barzal skated up to Marchment and chopped at his legs, earning a misconduct slashing penalty.

Article Continues Below

Marchment is the newest member of the Blue Jackets, joining the team after a trade from the Seattle Kraken earlier this month. He has made quite the impact, scoring twice in his debut and now creating a new Metropolitan Division rivalry. While they are still out of the playoffs, his impact could get them into the race.

The Islanders continue to deal with other teams targeting Schaefer, the Calder Trophy favorite for rookie of the year. Barzal is the latest veteran to take a run in defense of the 18-year-old. Scott Mayfield, Anders Lee, and Ryan Pulock have taken that role on throughout the season. But the team was so frustrated with Marchment that a non-fighter in Barzal took matters into his own hands.

The Blue Jackets are back in action on Monday, heading up to Ottawa to face the Senators at 7 p.m. Eastern.