Schaefer's historic 50th point ignites hope, but a stunning late goal crushes playoff aspirations.
New York Islanders No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer recorded his 50th point of the season Thursday night at 4:45 of the second period against the Ottawa Senators, in a devastating 3-2 loss.
With the assist, Schaefer became the second 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history to record 50 points in a season, following Phil Housley (57 in 1982-83).
He also became the fourth Islanders rookie defenseman to record 50 points in a season.
Here's how the game unfolded.
At 10:27 of the second period, Long Island native Shane Pinto scored before the Islanders took a 2-1 lead at 2:02 of the third period.
Off the rush, Brayden Schenn dropped the puck to Simon Holmstrom off the rush, before No. 92 hit No. 10 for a one-time finish:
With the goal, Schenn now has points in three straight games and four over his first six games with the Islanders. Holmstrom reached the 20-assist mark for the second straight season.
The Senators tied the game at 2-2 after Warren Foegele banked one in at 5:12 of the third before Brady Tkachuk scored with 11.1 seconds to go in the third period.
With the loss, the Islanders find themselves out of a playoff spot.
The Blue Jackets are about to defeat the New York Rangers to tie the Islanders in points.
However, because Columbus has played one fewer game, they move into third place in the Metropolitan Division. And with the Detroit Red Wings beating the Montreal Canadiens 2-1, the Islanders are now out of a playoff spot.
UP NEXT: The Islanders play the Canadiens on Saturday night at 7 PM to conclude their three-game road trip.