The UBS Arena was chanting Mathew Schaefer’s name. In a game featuring three of the NHL’s bright young talent, the No. 1 overall pick stood out.
The Islanders extended their winning streak to three games with a 4-3 victory over the winless Sharks on Tuesday night at UBS Arena.
Schaefer had a goal and an assist while Michael Misa, the second overall pick for the Sharks, collected his first NHL point and Macklin Celebrini, the first overall pick in 2024, brought the Sharks within one with a goal at 10:16 of the third period.
Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves for the Islanders (3-3-0).
Schaefer scored his second NHL goal — prompting the crowd’s chants — by getting to the crease for Anthony Duclair’s feed from behind the crease to give the Islanders a 4-2 lead at 6:38 of the second period.
Even before scoring, Schaefer had extended his point streak to six games to start his career with a secondary assist on Bo Horvat’s first-period power-play goal. It made him just the fourth 18-year-old — the youngest as he followed Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Alexandre Daigle — and third defenseman in NHL history to do so. It also made him just the second Islander with a six-game point streak to start their career after Bob Bourne in 1974.
He can match Daigle’s NHL record of a seven-game point streak to start a career for an 18-year-old, set in 1993, when the Islanders host the Red Wings on Thursday night.
The Islanders made a mess of the first period with turnovers, poor clears, an inability to win 50-50 plays and too much puck watching yet still led 3-2.
Collin Graf opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal at 8:29 of Mathew Barzal’s turnover and Sorokin had to deny Barclay Goodrow from a second shorthanded goal off Tony DeAngelo’s turnover before Horvat tied it at 9:26 with his fifth goal in three games. Casey Cizikas got to the net for a 2-1 lead at 10:30 before Adam Gaudette tied it at 14:16 off Misa’s feed. Emil Heineman stuffed in a power-play goal with 31.9 seconds to go that withstood a lengthy review.
Yaroslav Askarov made 23 saves for the Sharks (0-4-2).
Notes & quotes: Defenseman Alexander Romanov (upper body) missed his second straight game despite practicing on Monday. He remains day to day . . . Forwards Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb were the healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.