WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Islanders felt a sense of relief as Matthew Schaefer made his way back onto the ice not just once, but twice during Tuesday’s match, which was marred by injury worries. Despite being just 18 years old, the defenseman is still not completely healed.
Although Schaefer played through the Islanders’ tight 5-4 defeat against the Jets, he needed to see a team doctor because of a shot to his right foot he took in the second period.
As a result, reporters were unable to catch up with him after the game.
He didn’t leave the bench after taking Luke Schenn’s slap shot at 15:41 in the second period, but he appeared significantly hindered for the rest of his time on the ice. The flow of play had to be halted as he struggled to get around, which left the Islanders feeling less than satisfied about the situation. They found themselves down to four and a half players, while the Jets took full advantage in the offensive zone.
Schaefer limped back to the bench and attempted to shake off the discomfort whenever the play was stopped. He even returned for the next shift on the penalty kill. In total, he logged 22 minutes and 39 seconds of ice time, although he lost more than 12 minutes to the concussion protocol after being temporarily ejected from the game. It’s not uncommon for players to finish on sheer adrenaline, though.
His coach, Patrick Roy, mentioned, “He was fine. I think he just got a bit rattled there.” There seemed to be some confusion over the contact, but Roy noted Schaefer was in good shape. The hit from Josh Morrissey had raised some eyebrows, prompting the spotter to take action and check on him afterward.
The Islanders are already missing Alexander Romanov on defense, and losing Schaefer might create even more hurdles for them. This is significant not only due to his skills on the ice—no one else really matches up to him—but also because of the morale boost he provides to the team.
Next up, the Islanders are set to face the Oilers in Edmonton on Thursday.
In other updates, Adam Boqvist remained in the lineup for the second straight game, marking his first appearance in consecutive games since November.
Ryan Purock’s secondary assists have put him in a tie with Noah Dobson for the fifth-most points ever by an Islanders defenseman.
