The New York Islanders beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on JG Pageau's overtime goal. There were a lot of penalties in the game, which caught the radar of Vegas head coach Bruce Cassidy. But New York persevered, scoring shorthanded to win the game. Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer told Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News that New York was the better team on Friday.
“We definitely didn't stop fighting. I mean, I just think from the start, we started out hot. I think we were a better team. I mean, Sorokin made a lot of big saves for us. So, when you have a goalie like that, it definitely helps. We kept fighting back,” Schaefer said, per Rosner.
Schaefer had an incredible game against Vegas, scoring a goal in the first period and picking up an assist on the game-tying goal. At just 18 years old, the first-overall pick has exceeded expectations, with 14 points in 17 games. The Islanders are 9-6-2 and currently hold the top Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders took some sloppy penalties in the game, including two too-many-men infractions. They blew a two-goal lead despite their goaltender playing a fantastic game. But after allowing the third consecutive goal, Schaefer hit Mathew Barzal to force overtime.
The Islanders won the draft lottery and made no mistake in drafting Schaefer with the top pick. That led them to trade Noah Dobson for two first-round picks and forward Emil Heineman. Playing alongside Bo Horvat, Heineman scored the first goal of the game on Thursday, bringing his season total to seven.
The Islanders are right back in action on Friday night against the Utah Mammoth. Schaefer's excellence has not stopped since he joined the team, but a back-to-back will be a challenge for a young player. Will he score again on Friday?
