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Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer ties NHL record during Maple Leafs win
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- Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer ties NHL record during Maple Leafs win
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer ties NHL record during Maple Leafs win appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer tied an NHL record on Thursday night, scoring his 23rd goal of the season in a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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The 18-year-old first overall pick matched Hall of Famer Brian Leetch's feat for the most goals by a rookie defenseman in a single NHL season. Leetch originally set the record with the New York Rangers in the 1988-89 season.
Schaefer is now just two goals shy of surpassing Leetch's rookie record, which includes additional goals from Leetch's earlier appearances before his recognized rookie season, bringing his rookie-classified goals to 25.
Schaefer's 23 goals are also the most by an Islanders rookie since Anders Lee scored 25 in the 2014-15 season, according to ESPN Research.
Schaefer's record-tying goal came at 9:39 of the second period and gave New York a 3-2 lead. The scoring play developed as Ondrej Palat passed to Tony DeAngelo near the blue line, and DeAngelo set up Schaefer, who finished from the left circle, beating the Maple Leafs goaltender Artur Akhtyamov to put the Islanders ahead.
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Schaefer now has 59 points (23 goals, 36 assists) through his first 79 career games, along with 108 blocked shots, 209 shots on goal, and a plus-16 rating. He is tied with Jakob Chychrun for 11th in scoring among NHL defensemen.
Schaefer also holds the franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman and the NHL record for most points by an 18-year-old defenseman. He previously became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a point in his debut.
Related: Islanders rumors: Patrick Roy may stick around team after dismissal as head coach
Related: Islanders' Matthew Schaefer thanks mom for saving him vs. Maple Leafs
