The New York Islanders have dominated the Rangers in this season's series, claiming a clean sweep! But here's where it gets interesting...
Eighteen-year-old defenseman Schaefer has been on a roll, scoring his 14th goal of the season. This puts him in second place in NHL history for goals by an 18-year-old, just behind the legendary Phil Housley. Schaefer's achievement is even more impressive when you consider he was tied with Bobby Orr, a hockey icon, before this recent goal.
And this is the part most people miss: Schaefer's goal was not only historic but also a game-winner, his fourth this season! With this, he surpassed Denis Potvin for the most game-winning goals by a rookie defenseman in team history.
But wait, there's more! Schaefer also tied Vladimir Malakhov for the second-most goals in a season by an Islanders rookie defenseman.
The Islanders' victory over the Rangers was a team effort, with Carson Soucy, a former Ranger, scoring against his ex-team. Ilya Sorokin, the Islanders' goalie, made some crucial saves.
This sweep marks the first time since the 2017-18 season that the Islanders have dominated the regular-season series against their rivals.
The Rangers, however, put up a fight. Mika Zibanejad scored a power-play goal in the third period, narrowing the gap to 2-1. But it wasn't enough to stop the Islanders' momentum.
What do you think? Is Schaefer's performance a sign of a future NHL star? And will the Islanders continue their dominance in the upcoming seasons? Let's discuss in the comments!
