Islanders' Matthew Schaefer named NHL's first star of the week
Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders celebrates after defeating the Florida Panthers at UBS Arena on Sunday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
The firsts keeping coming for the Islanders' Matthew Schaefer.
The NHL announced on Monday that Schaefer, 18, was the league's first star of the week after notching four goals and an assist in three games following the three-week Olympic break.
"You could not guess that he would have the year he's having," coach Patrick Roy said. "But we knew he had a lot of talent."
The first overall pick, who had his first three-point game with two goals and an assist in Sunday's come-from-behind win over the two-time Stanley Cup champion Panthers at UBS Arena, became the first Islanders rookie defenseman to be so honored. Schaefer is also the first Islanders rookie to be named the NHL's first star of the week since Mathew Barzal in 2018.
Schaefer's 20 goals are the most ever for an 18-year-old rookie defenseman and just three short of tying Brian Leetch's NHL record for a rookie defenseman. Schaefer is the first Islanders defenseman to reach 20 goals since Hall of Famer Denis Potvin in 1985-86.
His 44 points are tied for the second most in league history for an 18-year-old rookie defenseman, behind Hall of Famer Phil Housley's 57.
Schaefer has helped the Islanders, who next play Wednesday night in Anaheim to open a four-game road trip, to a season-high five-game winning streak.
He was the repeated recipient of loud cheers from the sellout crowd on Sunday.
"When I hear a big crowd that gets me super fired up," Schaefer said after Sunday's win. "It's so fun. I want to score every night."
Penguins goalie Arturs Silovs (2-0-0, 0.50 goals-against average, .981 save percentage) was the NHL's second star of the week and Wild left wing Matt Boldy (three goals, four assists in three games) earned the third-star honors.
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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