Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov poked fun at New York Islanders fans following his team’s 4-3 victory on November 4. The visiting Bruins earned the hard-fought win, their fourth consecutive triumph, in a penalty shootout. While the victory helped move Boston up the Atlantic Division standings, much of the talk surrounding the game centered on an incident involving Zadorov.
With the Isles holding a slim lead in the second period, Zadorov took multiple shots at rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer. This ultimately included a cross-check straight to the 18-year-old’s face. Schaefer’s teammates obviously did not appreciate the move, and a mass scrum broke out on the ice. Zadorov was eventually given three penalties for his role in the incident.
After the game, the Bruins defender joked that he wanted to improve his penalty minutes this season compared to last. Zadorov actually led the NHL with 145 total minutes in the box during the 2024-25 campaign.
Hours later, Zadorov took to social media to blast Isles fans for leaving him a host of messages on his Instagram account. “Get out of DMs and go to the rink to cheer for your team,” posted Zadorov, as reported by B/R Open Ice. “That place was [a] library tonight!!!”
New York Islanders Veterans Helping to Protect Young Star Matthew Schaefer
GettyMatthew Schaefer is off to a strong start to his NHL career.
Veterans Anders Lee and Anthony Duclair were the first Islanders players to jump on the 6’7″ Zadorov during the fight. Both players were asked about the incident following the loss. “I caught the end because I ended up getting the puck,” stated Lee, as reported by Stefen Rosner. “Big man on our guy there and just one of those situations where you go in there and have his back.”
“Teams are seeing how good [Schaefer] really is,” Duclair said. “Obviously, you want to be hard on good players, and we try to do the same with our star players. He’s definitely going to have a target on his back all year; we’re here to protect him for sure.”
Schaefer, the reigning top pick from the 2025 NHL Draft, has hit the ground running in his first year in the league. In fact, the young star’s 11 points currently lead all rookie defensemen so far this season. Only Montreal Canadiens phenom Ivan Demidov, a forward, has more freshman points than the Isles star with 12.
Bruins Defender has a History of Playing Tough Guy Role
Zadorov’s bad boy antics are certainly not new. Along with leading the league in penalty minutes last season, the defensemen finished the 2024-25 campaign with 219 total hits as well. This particular figure led all Bruins players in the year.
The veteran blueliner also previously picked up a $5,000 fine in November of 2024 for his role in a heated incident involving Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin. Zadorov poked the future Hall of Famer from behind with his stick while on the Bruins bench. Malkin then retaliated with a slash towards the defender’s direction.
The Islanders, as well as their fans, will not have to wait long to try to get payback on Zadorov. Boston once again travels to UBS Arena on Long Island to face the Isles on November 26. Unfortunately for neutral hockey fans, the matchup is not scheduled for national TV.
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