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Pete DeBoer’s mind was blown watching Matthew Schaefer for 1st time
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- Pete DeBoer’s mind was blown watching Matthew Schaefer for 1st time
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The New York Islanders hired Pete DeBoer as their head coach recently, and he debuted on Thursday night. The veteran bench boss has had to quickly get acclimated to his surroundings. And that includes his players. One skater who has made an early impression is teenage phenom Matthew Schaefer.
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Schaefer is having a historic rookie season , and is the favorite to win the Calder Trophy as a result. On Thursday, he tied the rookie defenseman scoring record with his 23rd goal of the year. His effort helped the Islanders claim a big 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs .
After the game, DeBoer spoke about watching Schaefer for the first time. Suffice it to say, he couldn't believe what his star rookie was capable of so early in his career.
"I told the coaching staff in there, they've seen him every night this year. So you probably get a little bit numb to it. But for me, watching him from the bench live like that, it was just wow. I mean, what a player," the new Islanders coach said, via NHL.com's Stefan Rosner.
This win was a big one for DeBoer and his new team. They are chasing down a playoff spot with three games now remaining on the schedule. They are tied on points with the Detroit Red Wings as the best non-playoff team in the East. However, New York's path to the postseason is much easier than Detroit's.
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The Islanders are only one point back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third in the Metropolitan Division. In fact, it was Detroit who defeated Philadelphia on Thursday to help DeBoer's club gain ground. Whoever finishes third will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.
New York's schedule is getting smaller, but there's still a ton of work left to do. The Islanders are in action again on Saturday when they face the East's second Wild Card team, the Ottawa Senators .
Related: Islanders rumors: Patrick Roy may stick around team after dismissal as head coach
Related: Islanders' Matthew Schaefer ties NHL record during Maple Leafs win
