""I love these guys," Schaefer said afterward. "I know they always have my back, and I'll always have theirs. Obviously it means a lot. I love these guys in here.""
""You want to protect your teammate, especially Shaef," Bo Horvat said. "We have each other's backs in this locker room. We're all brothers in here, and we're going to do whatever it takes to protect each other.""
""I loved how the guys jumped in," Roy said. "The reaction of our guys - that's what you're looking for. They're a tight group, and they back each other. I'm proud of them for that.""
Matthew Schaefer, an 18-year-old rookie defenseman, was cross-checked twice by Nikita Zadorov and immediately received support from his New York Islanders teammates. The Islanders swarmed to Schaefer's defense, resulting in an interference and double-minor roughing call against Zadorov. Teammates including Bo Horvat, Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair entered the scrum to protect Schaefer. Head coach Patrick Roy praised the players' reaction and called it a defining moment that reflects team unity. Schaefer logged heavy minutes, helped set up a key goal, and emphasized mutual trust and collective resilience going forward.
Read at Eyes On Isles
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