Schaefer scores second goal in OT, Islanders recover to edge Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Matthew Schaefer scored his second goal of the game 33 seconds into overtime, and the New York Islanders recovered for a 4-3 win against the Minnesota Wild at Grand Casino Arena on Thursday.

Schaefer skated into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1 rush and put a wrist shot from the right face-off circle in off the left post.

“I was happy to get that one there,” Schaefer said. “'Pager' (Jean-Gabriel Pageau) made a nice play up, and 'Homer' (Simon Holmstrom) was going backside. So, I just took whatever’s given.

“You get a big win against a big team, and keep it rolling.”

Schaefer also had an assist, and Bo Horvat and Adam Pelech scored for the Islanders (7-4-2), who are 3-1-1 in their past five games. Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves.

“Gutsy effort by our group,” New York coach Peter DeBoer said. “I thought we played a real complete game. Didn’t beat ourselves. We put the puck in good places. Both special teams were good. That’s a formula to give yourself a chance to win in a tough road building.”

The Islanders were 1-for-2 on the power play. The Wild were 0-for-3.

Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist, and Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy scored for the Wild (9-3-3), who had won three straight. Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves.

Minnesota lost its first home game of the season (4-0-1).

“I don’t think it was the cleanest game from us,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “We stuck with it, came from behind, and that’s what I talked to the team about. We didn’t have our A game tonight, but we gave ourselves a chance to win the game.”

Eriksson Ek made it 1-0 just 27 seconds into the first period with a wrist shot from the high slot.

“We didn’t let it get us flustered, or let them keep taking it to us,” Horvat said. “I thought we really made a push right after they scored there.”

Schaefer tied the game 1-1 at 16:36 with a wrist shot from the left circle on a rebound from Emil Heineman’s shot.

The Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 1:41 of the second period on Horvat’s backdoor tip-in from Simon Holmstrom on the power play.

Schaefer had the secondary assist to become the sixth teenage defenseman in NHL history with 15 career multipoint games. The others are Phil Housley (34), Ray Bourque (17), Larry Murphy (16), Rick Hampton (16) and Rasmus Dahlin (15).

"He's a heck of a player, for sure," Boldy said. "He showed it tonight. I don't think we did a good enough job of slowing him down, making his life a little bit harder. But credit to him, he plays the game like he's been playing for 10, 15 years. It's pretty fun to watch. Future is obviously pretty bright. They're pretty lucky to have him over there."

Hughes tied it 2-2 after he cut through the right circle and beat Sorokin five-hole with a sharp-angle, backhand shot at 17:21.

Pelech put New York ahead 3-2 at 7:14 of the third period when his wrist shot from the point deflected off the left leg of Minnesota forward Michael McCarron and changed direction to get past Wallstedt.

“We got contributions from everyone,” DeBoer said. “I know everyone talks about 'Schaef,' and he deserves every accolade he gets. This was a team win tonight. We had four lines and five 'D' that were committed to giving us a chance to win and playing the right way.”

Boldy evened the score 3-3 at 16:07 with a low snap shot between Sorokin's pads from the left circle. The play started with a turnover from Schaefer when he sent the puck along the glass out of the Islanders zone to neutral ice, where Boldy grabbed it and drove right back in for the goal.

“I know (Schaefer) was upset about the third goal,” DeBoer said. “You could tell that he wanted to get it back for us. Even before overtime started. That edge, competitiveness and edge he has to be a difference-maker is really rare.”

NOTES: Schaefer is the first teenage defenseman in NHL history with three career overtime goals. He broke a tie with Cam Fowler (two). ... Schaefer’s five career multigoal games tied Phil Housley for the most by a teenage defenseman in NHL history. ... Schaefer (eight points; four goals, four assists in six games) matched his longest career point streak (six games in 2025-26). The only teenagers in Islanders history with a longer streak are Pat LaFontaine (11 games in 1984-85), Bryan Trottier (nine games and eight games in 1975-76), Tim Connolly (seven games in 2000-01) and Brent Sutter (seven games in 1981-82). ... New York defenseman Ryan Pulock left the game early in the first period with an upper-body injury after two shifts. DeBoer did not have an update after the game. ... Eriksson Ek (three goals, two assists), Kirill Kaprizov (three goals, four assists) and Hughes (two goals, five assists) all extended their point streaks to four games.