Matt Martin’s daughters cheer on NY Islanders Matthew Schaefer in adorable NHL video

For Matthew Schaefer, Sunday night’s 3-2 New York Islanders comeback win over the Columbus Blue Jackets was about more than goals and stats — it was about momentum, belief, and a team that refused to fold.

“I think we just had so much momentum,” Schaefer said after scoring twice in the third period, including the game-tying goal with 1:07 left. “We wanted to end this game here. We battled so hard and fought back, and we got that one.”

The 18-year-old defenseman, who already looks every bit the franchise cornerstone the Islanders hoped for, opened the scoring earlier with a first-period power-play goal. That goal didn’t just fire up UBS Arena — it lit up living rooms across Long Island.

Sydney Esiason, daughter of Boomer Esiason and wife of former Islander Matt Martin, shared an adorable video of her two daughters celebrating Schaefer’s goal. “Go Schaef Go!” the eldest chanted while bouncing up and down on the couch. The No. 1 overall pick is stayingw ith the Martin's during his first NHL season, serving as a big teen brother when he's not leading the NHL in scoring.

It may have been near bedtime when Schaefer struck again, his second goal of the night tying the game late and setting the stage for Simon Holmstrom’s winner just 29 seconds later.

“I don’t think that goes in if Lee’s not there screening the goalie,” Schaefer said modestly of his equalizer. “He really sealed that. Even on the first goal, the guys just found me and I shot it. It’s pretty easy when you’ve got teammates like that.”

Through 12 games, Schaefer has become one of the league’s top stories — but his focus hasn’t shifted. “You hate losing,” he said. “We were grinding, working hard, pushing the pace, getting shots. We were due for a couple goals in the last minute — and they went in.”

On the ice and off it, “Go Schaef Go” seems to be catching on.