Matthew Schaefer took a stick up high from Matthew Boldy on Thursday night in Minnesota, and the Islanders got nothing for it.
No whistle, no arm in the air. Just a 19-year-old defenseman left in disbelief, like a kid watching a vending machine swallow his last dollar.
The eye test is rough on the officials. Schaefer turns off the boards with Boldy closing from behind, and the Minnesota forward's blade rides up high on the teenager.
This one goes on the shortlist of the worst non-calls of the young season. A stick that high, on a player that visible, isn't a judgment call.
And the break went to the last team that needed one. The Wild entered Thursday at 9-3-2, first in their division and riding a three-game winning streak.
Minnesota was 4-0-0 on home ice. And Kirill Kaprizov had already piled up 14 goals, one for every game he'd played.
For the Islanders, Thursday closes out a three-game road trip that opened with a 6-3 loss in Dallas before a shootout win Tuesday in Nashville.
-
Matthew Schaefer left in disbelief after brutal missed call on Matt Boldy
Peter DeBoer can't exactly ease the load on Schaefer right now. Alexander Romanov is on injured reserve with a knee issue and isn't expected back until at least April 8.
So the offense from the back end runs through No. 48. He has 11 points this season, second on the Islanders behind only Bo Horvat.
The gap behind him on the blue line is almost comical. Logan Stanley is the next-highest-scoring Islanders defenseman, and he has 5 points.
Schaefer has also found the net lately. Both of his goals this season have come over his last five games.
He's been a factor on the power play too, with 3 assists on the man advantage. So what does a 19-year-old have to take up high before somebody reaches for a whistle?
Here's the kicker. New York is getting all of that production on a $986,250 cap hit, while Boldy carries a $7,000,000 number for the Wild.
The Minnesota forward came in without a goal over his previous five outings, though he still owned a +9 rating on the season.
The Islanders came in at 6-4-2. A 2-3-1 road record leaves them very little room to absorb gifts going the other way.
They head home to face the Oilers on Saturday. The Wild don't visit them until February 13, which leaves the kid plenty of time to remember the number 12.
Should Matthew Boldy have gone to the box for his high stick on Matthew Schaefer?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Pierre LeBrun drops a surprise nugget regarding Dylan Larkin and the Florida Panthers
