Anders Lee’s glowing praise from Matthew Schaeffer after the Canadiens’ win
The New York Islanders are returning to action after the NHL’s Olympic break is over. The Islanders have a lot to play for down the stretchas they are currently third in the Metropolitan Division. They need all the points they can get, and they got off on the right foot on Thursday night.
The Islanders beat the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday to begin their final stretch of games before the NHL trade deadline. New York’s effort against Montreal was aided by rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer. 2025 first overall pick scored two goals in a win over the Habs at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
After the game, captain Anders Lee spoke one-on-one with Newsday’s Andrew Gross. During this conversation, Lee shared very high praise for his rookie teammate. “He’s an absolute shepherd. He has that ability to change the game of hockey and he did that tonight,” the Islanders captain told Gross.
Schaefer made an immediate impact in the NHL during his rookie season. The Islanders defenseman now has 18 goals and 41 points on the year after Thursday’s win. He is now tied for second among rookies in scoring, and remains third among rookies in points this year.
Schaefer is approaching a historic milestone. He is now just five goals away from tying the record for most goals by a rookie defenseman in a season. He is currently on pace to finish with 25 goals in the 2025-26 campaign.
The Islanders need Schaefer to continue this incredible streak. If he can keep it up, the young defenseman could be a key cog for this team in the Stanley Cup playoffs. And along the way, he could make his mark in the record books.
2026-02-27 03:46:00
