Matthew Schaefer Ties Bobby Orr In Decades-Old Statistic

The New York Islanders fell in overtime on Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings inside UBS Arena.

The Islanders battled back from an early 2-0 hole, forcing overtime after Matthew Schaefer's game-tying goal in the third period.

That goal is Schaefer's first of the season, and the 24th of his career after a 23-goal campaign as an 18-year-old.

That 24th goal as a teenager moved Schaefer into a tie for second all-time in goals scored as a teenaged defenseman.

Schaefer is tied with none other than Boston Bruins' legend, Bobby Orr, the best defenseman in the history of the NHL.

It's an unbelievable stat, one that reminds just how special of a player Schaefer is in every sense of the word.

"It’s crazy to have your name next to him," Schaefer said postgame. "With some of the great things he's done. It’s an honor.”

But, Schaefer knows the records and stats aren't the end all, be all. He wants to get better and he wants to win.

"I don't really look at the records and things like that," Schaefer said. "You just keep playing the game, keep trying to get better. Obviously, there's things you always want to improve on, and at the end of the day, it's a team game, and we're kind of just focused on what we got going in here."

What the Islanders "got going on here" is a team currently third in the Metropolitan Division. 

They've also got the fifth-best odds to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, according to Moneypuck.com.

The Islanders now ship out for a week-long road trip, looking to stack more wins. They'll face Head Coach Pete DeBoer's old team, the Dallas Stars, Sunday night to kick off the road trip.