New York, New York: Schaefer Plays All Five Minutes of Overtime as Islanders Beat Predators 4-3 in a Shootout

New York, New York got a record that may stand for a long time on Tuesday night in Nashville. Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer played all five minutes of overtime in a 4-3 shootout win over the Predators at Bridgestone Arena, the first skater to stay on the ice for a full overtime period since the NHL began officially tracking ice time in 2009-10. Schaefer finished with a career-high 32:16 of ice time, the third-highest total by any player in a game this season, and added an assist.

How the five minutes happened

Schaefer drew a tripping penalty 32 seconds into overtime, and the Islanders held the puck for almost two minutes on the delayed call before the period's only stoppage came with 2:43 remaining. Head coach Pete DeBoer used his timeout before the power play began, which gave his 19-year-old defenseman a rest without taking him off the ice, and Schaefer stayed out for the rest of the period. The five-minute shift is the longest by an Islanders skater in the tracked era, passing the club marks set before him.

The assist fed Bo Horvat for a goal in regulation and extended Schaefer's point streak to five games. Through 12 games he has two goals and 11 points, second on the Islanders, and his average of 26:43 a night leads the team and ranks fourth in the league. DeBoer, who first studied Schaefer on video while working with Canada's Olympic staff last season, laughed when asked how he deploys him. "As soon as he catches his breath, he goes back out," DeBoer said. "That's how you deploy him. He's that good. He's a special, special player."

A lead lost, then a win saved

The record would have meant less if the Islanders had lost. Horvat, Anthony Duclair and Brayden Schenn built a 3-0 lead in regulation, but Nashville erased it with goals from Filip Forsberg, Alexander Kerfoot and Ryan O'Reilly to force overtime. Neither team scored in the extra period, and Kyle Palmieri and Horvat converted in the shootout to close out the win. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov earned the victory, his first win in nearly two years.

Captain Bo Horvat said Schaefer's value runs beyond the points. "There's guys that have tremendous offensive ability," Horvat said. "(Schaefer) does it at both ends of the rink. He has the ability to be first on the forecheck and the first one to get back." Schaefer also wears an alternate captain's letter in his second season, a role DeBoer said he has earned in the room.

The performance follows a rookie year that set its own records. Schaefer won the Calder Trophy unanimously last season, the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft posting 23 goals and 59 points while playing all 82 games. Twelve games into his second season, the sophomore slump the league often hands young defensemen has not shown up, and the Islanders, now 6-4-2, travel to Minnesota to play the Wild on Thursday.