Patrick Roy praises Schaefer, NY Islanders effort despite opening-night loss

The New York Islanders didn’t get the result they wanted on Opening Night, but head coach Patrick Roy saw plenty to build on — and plenty to admire in 18-year-old Matthew Schaefer’s historic debut.

“I thought we played a good game, well enough to win,” Roy said after the 4-3 loss to the Penguins. “But we’re not here for moral victories. We want to win games. We’re certainly not satisfied — we want more. But we did a lot of good things. I liked our pace, I liked the way we played five-on-five.”

The Isles controlled stretches of play and were strong on the penalty kill, but defensive lapses around the crease proved costly. “We just need to be a little better around our net,” Roy noted. “That’s how they scored their two goals — rebounds and second chances.”

Schaefer, who at 18 years, 34 days became the youngest defenseman in NHL history to record a point in his debut, impressed his coach with his poise. “I thought he was really good,” Roy said. “He was throwing pucks at the net, he seemed very comfortable and confident out there. I’m very pleased with him.” Roy rewarded the teenager late, giving him time on the ice during the six-on-five push. “Yes, he deserved that,” Roy said. “The other guys had been out there for three or four minutes. It was good for him to step in.”

Though Roy lauded his team’s resilience, he was quick to stress the standard. “We’re not satisfied,” he repeated. “We want more.” For an Islanders team that is embracing a new era and attitude, it was a loss that still felt like a glimpse of what’s to come.