Matthew Schaefer kept raising the bar in his second NHL season, becoming the first player in the tracked era to skate the entire five-minute overtime as the New York Islanders beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 in a shootout.
The reigning Calder Trophy winner was everywhere for the Islanders, who had led 3-0 in regulation before the Predators fought back to force overtime. Schaefer not only logged all five minutes of the extra period, he also picked up an assist in a win that gave the Islanders their first in nearly two years after a late game turned into a demanding test of stamina and control.
A night that showed Schaefer's workload
The numbers underline how heavily the Islanders are leaning on Schaefer. He entered the game with 11 points in 12 games, while averaging 26:43 of ice time in the first month of the season, and this outing only added to that workload.
Since the NHL began tracking overtime shift data in 2009-10, no player had previously skated every second of a five-minute overtime. Schaefer did it in a game where the Islanders needed composure after the Predators dragged the contest back level.
Why the Islanders' win mattered
For the Islanders, the result was as important as the statistic. Kyle Palmieri and Bo Horvat were among the players whose contributions helped build the early cushion, and the team still had to survive a strong response from the Predators before sealing the victory in the shootout.
The game also underlined Schaefer's growing importance. He is no longer just a promising young defenceman; he is already being asked to carry major responsibility, and the way he handled this one will only strengthen that view. With a home matchup against the Kings coming up, his six-game home point streak bid headlines Kings Vs Islanders on Thursday, and the focus will again be on how far he can keep pushing the standard.
