ELMONT, NY — No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer understands that playing in the NHL isn’t going to be a walk in the park. That’s why, at every waking moment, he’s trying to learn as much as possible so that when he hits the ice on Oct. 9, he’s as ready as possible.
In the New York Islanders’ 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Friday night, Schaefer played 23:54 in his second preseason game, the second-most minutes on the team behind Tony DeAngelo’s 24:01.
He recorded an assist, one shot, created three rebounds, three hits, four hits taken, but also was a minus-2 as he got caught up on the ice a few times.
“I think there are a couple of ones that I wish I had back, but I’m learning from them,” Schaefer said postgame. “I gotta put them in the past now and just get better so when opening night comes, I’m ready.”
There are so many talented, elite hockey players who break into the NHL with just so much potential. The players who live up to the hype are the ones who learn quickly and elevate their game from one shift to the next.
That’s Schaefer, as you can see him talking to teammates on the bench and coaches any chance he can.
“Hockey is always gonna be fun, and there’s always gonna be things to work on and mistakes, but you just gotta learn from them and move on,” Schaefer said. “I feel good. Every game is a step in the right direction. I’m looking to get better. Obviously, there’s going to be mistakes, but you just have to learn from them and build and put them in the past. You just have to worry about the next game. I’m just going to keep trying to get better each and every day.”
His assist to Anthony Duclair at 6:50 of the third was a thing of beauty, finding the forward in front of goal to cut the Islanders’ deficit to 3-2 with Ilya Sorokin on the bench for the extra attacker:
The Hockey News asked Schaefer if it was a pass or a shot.
“I just put it on net,” Schaefer said. “I saw he was there. So, it was a great play by him.”
One thing you will notice about Schaefer, at least through these two games, is that very rarely does a pass from the blue line or a shot on goal not get to its intended target.
His hockey IQ has him thinking the game faster than most players out there but the more important part is that his hands and feet are able to keep pace with what he’s thinking, which is why he’s able to make these plays so quick.
“It’s like having a fourth forward out there at times,” Duclair said. “I love when he jumps in on the rush and makes those incredible cross passes. His vision is incredible. We’re really lucky to have him.”
Islanders Anthony Duclair Feels ‘Pretty Good’ After First Preseason Game; His Thoughts On Matthew Schaefer
ELMONT, NY — After missing Thursday’s preseason game due to an upper-body injury, New York Islanders forward Anthony Duclair was healthy enough to get into the lineup on Friday night against the New Jersey Devils for his first NHL shifts since Apr. 1.
The Islanders have two more preseason games to go before the calendar turns to the regular season: Monday against the New York Rangers and Thursday against the Philadelphia Flyers.
The expectation is that Schaefer will play in both so that he’s as comfortable as possible before the puck drops on opening night against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 9 at PPG Paints Arena.
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