ELMONT, NY — New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer scored his 15th goal of the season at 5:57 of the first period, contributing to a 2-0 lead before the Islanders lost 4-3 to the Nashville Predators. This goal places Schaefer second among Islanders rookie defensemen in a season, surpassing Vladimir Malakhov’s 14 goals, with only Denis Potvin ahead at 17. Schaefer is now two goals away from tying Phil Housley for the most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history.
