"The bar continues to rise for the blue liner, who not only has come as advertised and then some, but is providing a culture shock for a franchise that has not seen this sort of marauding style of play from a defenseman in quite some time. That says a lot considering ex-Islander D-man Noah Dobson posted a 70-point season two years ago."
"After nabbing a secondary assist on Bo Horvat's first-period power play goal, Schaefer drove to the front of the crease to get on the end of Anthony Duclari's centering pass from behind the net to pop his second career goal past Yaroslav Askarov to give the Islanders a 4-2 lead 6:38 into the second period. That sort of play, especially during an even-strength situation, has been as foreign a concept as ever for an Islanders team that preached stay-at-home defense for nearly a decade"
Matthew Schaefer, an 18-year-old rookie drafted No. 1 overall four months earlier, posted his first NHL multi-point game with a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. He has recorded at least one point in each of his first six career games, making him just the second defenseman in NHL history to do so. Head coach Patrick Roy praised his two-way play, noting zone exits, net-front compete and joining the rush. Schaefer mixes elite skating with aggressive offensive instincts, pinching and diving into the attack, providing a style shift for the Islanders.
Read at www.amny.com
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