Another game, more milestones for New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer — that's becoming a regular occurrence. The 18-year-old defenseman not only recorded his first career two-goal game in the Islanders’ dramatic win over Columbus, but also made NHL history in the process.
With five goals on the season, Schaefer now leads all NHL defensemen in goals, surpassing stars like Dougie Hamilton, Cale Makar, and Zach Werenski. After the game, the locker room awarded Schaefer the Iron Man mask, the team’s player-of-the-game honor, while fans at UBS Arena chanted his name after he was announced as the first star of the game.