Schaefer scores in OT, Islanders edge Mammoth for 4th straight win

SALT LAKE CITY – Matthew Schaefer scored at 2:06 of overtime, and the New York Islanders defeated the Utah Mammoth 3-2 at Delta Center on Friday.

Schaefer ripped a one-timer from the right face-off circle off a short pass from Mathew Barzal, going short side past Karel Vejmelka.

“I think that the second and third periods we wanted to come out hard,” Schaefer said. “We got a great bounce there to tie us up and then we fought hard and then [Barzal] found me, it was a great game and a really hard-fought win.”

With his first overtime goal coming in his 18th game, the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft became the youngest player in NHL history to score an overtime goal (18 years, 70 days), beating Sidney Crosby’s record (18 years, 101 days on Nov. 16, 2005). Schaefer also leads all defensemen in goals with seven.

“It's awesome, you want to win games and I think that was a hard-fought game,” Schaefer said. “I don't think we brought our best, but to get that win is huge to keep going on this road trip.”

Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman scored and David Rittich made 27 saves for the Islanders (10-6-2), who have won four games in a row, the past three in overtime.

“I think it was a character win in a way that we found a way to win a hockey game where things were not going our way at the beginning,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said.

JJ Peterka and Dylan Guenther scored, and Vejmelka made 19 saves for the Mammoth (10-7-1), who have lost four of their past five games.

“We had a really good first period, and for a number of reasons, we lost our momentum in the second period,” Mammoth coach Andre Tourigny said. “I think we were on our heels too much in the third period. We were protecting the lead, but we did not have the same aggression.”

Heineman opened the scoring at 7:13 of the first period, scoring a 4-on-4 goal by swatting a backhand with his back to the net to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

Nick Schmaltz appeared to have tied the game for Utah at 11:41, but after video review it was determined that the puck never crossed the goal line and was ruled no goal.

Peterka scored at 13:02, tapping in a pass from Lawson Crouse to make it 1-1.

Guenther scored a 5-on-3 power-play goal at 18:35, firing a one-timer past Rittich to give the Mammoth a 2-1 lead.

“We didn't have a very good first period, that's for sure,” Roy said. “I'm so proud of them because they came back in that second and we started placing the puck behind their defense. We managed the puck so much better. I thought we got some momentum out of that second period and in the third, we got a goal by Drouin, which was a big one.”

Drouin was credited with the goal that tied the game 2-2 at 13:44 of the third period when he kicked the puck from just outside the crease before it went off the stick of Utah defenseman Nate Schmidt and into the net. The play was initially ruled no goal for Drouin's distinct kicking motion but then was allowed after video review.

“It's an instinctual thing, right? In hindsight, do I wish I would have pulled my stick back so they would have called it back? Yeah, but that's gonna be really hard for me to do,” Schmidt said. “You're trying to get it out then I almost stepped on Vejmelka in the process.”

The Islanders were on the second night of a back to back and have the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars and Detroit Red Wings still to come on their road trip.

“I thought that game was good for us, and I think it's good for our confidence,” Roy said. “This is not an easy trip. We were in Vegas last night, got in late, and then play a back to back. They were waiting for us, they had a solid start, and I thought that's a lot of character [to get the win].”

NOTES: The Islanders won three straight regular-season games in overtime for the first time in the franchise's history. They had previously done it in the 1993 Stanley Cup Playoffs during their first-round series win against the Washington Capitals. ... The Islanders are 6-1-1 in their past eight games ... Utah has lost six of eight (2-5-1). ... Bo Horvat extended his point streak to eight games (12 points; six goals, six assists). ... Barzal extended his point streak to six games (six points; two goals, four assists). ... Friday’s game was the 100th game in Mammoth franchise history (48-38-14, 110 points).