The Islanders pulled off another remarkable comeback Sunday night, overcoming a two-goal deficit against the reigning Stanley Cup champions.
This match highlighted the talents of an emerging defenseman star.
Similar to their games in Montreal and Columbus earlier this week, there was no need for overtime this time around. The Isles capitalized on the skills of rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer, bouncing back from being down 0-2 to secure a 5-4 victory against the Panthers at UBS Arena, marking their fifth consecutive win as they head into the Olympic break.
With just 30.9 seconds to go in regulation, Captain Anders Lee’s forehand shot bolstered the Isles’ record to 35-21-5 as they prepare for a West Coast trip beginning Wednesday in Anaheim, California.
The 18-year-old Schaefer scored his second goal of the night, his 20th in his debut season, tying the game 3-3 with a little over nine minutes left. However, Florida’s Sam Reinhart managed to equalize again with under two minutes to go.
As the Isles forced a turnover in Florida’s zone, Ondrej Palat found Schaefer, who took a shot that hit a Panthers player and then somehow made its way to veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, prompting Palat to repeatedly shout Schaefer’s name.
Schaefer has already broken a franchise record by scoring 19 goals, surpassing previous records for rookie defensemen in the final minute of games, which has fueled the team’s recent comeback.
The Panthers took an early 2-0 lead against Isles backup goaltender David Rittich, thanks to Sandis Vilmanis and Sam Bennett.
Schaefer, who set a league record for goals scored by an 18-year-old defenseman in Montreal on Thursday, found the net with a goal from the right circle that deflected off a Florida defenseman, hit the crossbar, and then Bobrovsky’s back before finally crossing the line. That brought the score to 2-1 just before the intermission.
Before the game, Panthers coach Paul Maurice praised Schaefer, commenting on his impressive transition into the league at such a young age. He mentioned that if Schaefer continues to develop, he could achieve even greater things.
Maurice noted, “He’s really great… He knows when to make plays and when to hold back. That’s significant for a young player. The Islanders seem to have laid a strong foundation with him for the future.”
Manager Patrick Roy also shares this sentiment, as Schaefer continues to impress after surpassing Denis Potvin’s rookie goal record for defensemen in Montreal.
This game was the first in a series of comebacks before the Olympic break, with prior matches resulting in overtime victories against Montreal and Columbus.
Carson Soucy tied the game with 4-on-4 goal seven minutes into the second period after Schaefer’s penalty nullified the Isles’ power play.
This marked Soucy’s second game in nine appearances with the Isles since his trade from the Rangers in late January and his fifth goal of the season.
Bennett scored his second of the night with a well-placed backhand shot twelve minutes into the second period, but Bo Horvat responded just before intermission, hitting a shot from the left wall past Bobrovsky to level the score at 3-3.
