Schaefer is a rookie and obviously doesn\u2019t have the pedigree or resume of McDavid, Draisaitl or even Sorokin, but Schaefer is doing things very few rookie NHL defencemen have ever done. Schaefer has 13 goals and 30 points through 46 games. Orr had 13 goals in his rookie season while Coffey had nine. Those two went on to own the top 10 highest scoring seasons in NHL history. Orr\u2019s five best seasons had point totals of 139, 135, 122, 120 and 117, while Coffey tallied 138, 126, 121, 120 and 103 points. Schaefer will be hard-pressed to have a 100-point season, but he\u2019s off to an amazing start.<\/p>\n
Only three rookie defenders managed 20 goals. Brian Leetch scored 23 in 1989, Barry Beck had 22 in 1978, and Dion Phaneuf had 20 in 2006. Phil Housley owns the record for most goals by an 18-year-old with 19. Schaefer is on pace to score 23 and it\u2019s even more impressive considering the Islanders are not a high-scoring team. He isn\u2019t playing with skilled players like McDavid, Draisaitl or other top scorers. Matt Barzal leads the Islanders with 37 points, which is tied with the Oilers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins for 66th overall, and RNH has played eight fewer games.<\/p>\n
The Islanders ranked 27th in GF\/GA last season at 2.71\/game. This season they are 22nd at 2.91. Schaefer has helped them become a bit more offensive, but they are still a team searching for more offence. When you watch him play tonight, look at how well he moves laterally, how effortless his stride is \u2014 and remember it is only his first season in the NHL. How good will he be in a few seasons with more strength and experience?<\/p>\n
The Islanders sit second in the Metro division, but they are only three points out of fifth place, and they are in second mainly due to the play of\u00a0 their goalies, specifically Ilya Sorokin. He\u2019s been outstanding and he\u2019s been even better lately. In his last 10 games he has an +11 goals saved above expected. That is ridiculous. On the season only seven other goalies are above 11 goals saved above expected and one of them is his goalie partner, David Rittich. The Islander netminders have covered up a lot of defensive miscues.<\/p>\n
The Islanders have a -120 SF-SA differential at five-on-five, but they\u2019ve allowed the second most high danger chances against. When they bend, they really bend, but Sorokin and Rittich have bailed them out. Sorokin couldn\u2019t save them two nights ago in Winnipeg when he allowed five goals for the first time this season. Even the best can\u2019t be superhuman every game. The Oilers will be able to generate chances, and based on the previous 46 games, the Islanders will give up numerous high danger chances, and it will come down to whether the Oilers can beat Sorokin.<\/p>\n
This game has the potential to be very entertaining with two superstars, a young phenom defenceman and an elite goalie. It\u2019s been a long time since I can recall being excited to watch the Islanders, but I\u2019m excited to see Schaefer and Sorokin up close.<\/p>\n
SNAPSHOTS\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Islanders are banged up. Olympian Bo Horvat is still out along with Kyle Palmeiri and Alexander Romanov. Romanov has only played 15 games, while Palmeiri has missed 21 games, while Horvat missed six games leading up to Christmas, returned to play four games, and then got injured on New Year\u2019s Day and hasn\u2019t played since. Initially they said he\u2019d be out at least a week, but it is now two weeks and he still hasn\u2019t returned. He leads them with 21 goals and is still second on the team in points despite missing 10 games. Horvat isn\u2019t on the road trip, but he might join them for the final two games next week in Vancouver or Seattle.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Tonight is game four of a seven-game road trip for the Islanders. They lost 2-1 in a shootout in Nashville last Thursday, won 4-3 in OT in Minny on Saturday and lost 5-4 to Winnipeg on Tuesday. It is a long trip spread out over 15 days, but only seven games and none are back-to-back. The longer a trip goes the more it becomes a grind living out of a hotel. It is rare to see a seven-game trip have no BTB games.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Zach Hyman\u2019s hot streak has been overshadowed by McDavid\u2019s ridiculous hot streak, but Hyman has been excellent with 14 goals and 21 points in his last 17 games. His wrist mobility continues to improve and while it isn\u2019t 100% yet, he is feeling and playing much better.<\/p>\n
\u2014 With his two points in Nashville, McDavid became the 20th player with a point streak of at least 20 games. McDavid is now tied for the 21st most points during any point streak of 15+ games with 46 points. Those with more:<\/p>\n
Gretzky: Eleven times with points totals of 153, 108, 76, 66, 64, 63, 57, 55, 51, 48 and 47.<\/p>\n
Mario Lemieux: Three times, 103, 59 and 51 points.<\/p>\n
Steve Yzerman: Two times with 65 and 50 points.<\/p>\n
Guy Lafleur (61), Paul Coffey (55), Bryan Trottier (55) and Sidney Crosby (50) did it once.<\/p>\n
\u2014 McDavid\u2019s 20-game streak is the seventh longest in Oilers franchise history. He needs to reach 24 games to tie Wayne Gretzky for sixth and then Paul Coffey and Gretzky are at 28 and Gretzky has streaks of 30, 39 and 51 as the top three spots.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Leon Draisaitl is one assist shy of 600 for his career. He\u2019ll be the 108th player to reach 600 assists and 20 more assists will move him into the top 100. It was only a few weeks ago that he became the 103rd player to reach 1,000 points, but he\u2019s already moved up to 95th with 1,023. If he scores 40 points in the final 34 games, which seems likely, he will be in the top 80 by the end of the regular season.<\/p>\n
\u2014 While McDavid has 46 points in his 20-game scoring streak, Draisaitl ranks second in that span with 36 points, Evan Bouchard is tied for ninth with 24 points and Hyman is tied for 15th with 23. The Oilers\u2019 big dogs have been very productive.<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Oilers\u2019 powerplay is 40% in the last month with 18 goals on 45 opportunities. The Islanders\u2019 PP is 32nd in that time at only 10% with three goals on 30 chances. Edmonton has a clear advantage on the power play in tonight\u2019s game.<\/p>\n
LINEUPS\u2026Oilers\u2026<\/a><\/p>\n RNH \u2013 McDavid \u2013 Hyman Ekholm \u2013 Bouchard Ingram<\/p>\n Connor Ingram<\/a> starts in goal while Isaac Howard moves up to the third line and Curtis Lazar<\/a> draws back in and Andrew Mangiapane comes out. I really liked the fourth line in Chicago and I sense they are due for a goal.<\/p>\n Ingram will start his eighth game as an Oiler, and I\u2019d be surprised if Edmonton sent him to the minors before Sunday (when his waiver eligibility ends). I asked Kris Knoblauch how he plans to use three goalies. \u201cWe aren\u2019t set on what we are going to do with three goalies,\u201d he said. \u201cWill it be for the rest of the season, a few weeks or a few months? We haven\u2019t decided yet. With Jarry just returning from injury we want to be cautious and no over play him.\u201d<\/p>\n The Oilers have the cap space to keep all three through the Olympic break. There is no rush, and while carrying three goalies isn\u2019t ideal, it also isn\u2019t the worst problem to have for a few weeks.<\/p>\n
Podkolzin \u2013 Draisaitl \u2013 Kapanen
Howard \u2013 Roslovic \u2013 Savoie
Janmark \u2013 Lazar \u2013 Frederic<\/p>\n
Nurse \u2013 Emberson
Walman \u2013 Stastney<\/p>\n
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