Nikita Zadorov Responds to Islanders Fans After Incident with Matthew Schaefer
Nikita Zadorov confronted Islanders fans who criticized him following his altercation with No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer on Tuesday night at UBS Arena. The Bruins defenseman posted on Instagram:
“Get out of my DMs and go to the rink to cheer for your team. That place was a library tonight.”
Zadorov shared a screenshot of direct messages sent to him after the game and overlaid that statement in his story.
Details of the Incident
During the second period of the Islanders' 4-3 shootout defeat, Zadorov struck the 18-year-old Schaefer behind the Bruins’ net with a two-handed stick hit. He then pushed Schaefer to the ice as the rookie tried to recover his skates.
This led captain Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair to confront Zadorov, resulting in a heated scrum. Zadorov was penalized with a double-minor for roughing and an additional two-minute interference penalty. He continued engaging in a tense exchange with Lee while both sat in the penalty box.
Crowd Reaction and Game Context
The crowd of 15,585 expressed displeasure towards Zadorov for the rest of the game. This attendance was the fourth highest among seven home games this season at the 17,255-capacity UBS Arena, which has had only one sellout so far.
The Islanders did not comment on Zadorov's social media post and skipped practice on Wednesday. Fans loudly chanted for Schaefer and goalie Ilya Sorokin during the event.
Player Comments
“There’s going to be battles every night,” said Schaefer after the game.
Summary: Zadorov defended himself against fan backlash following his aggressive play on Schaefer, highlighting the intensity and physical nature of NHL matchups.