Islanders' Ilya Sorokin on tap for back-to-back games in goal against Pittsburgh
New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) watches as a puck goes past the stick of Pittsburgh Penguins left wing Jake Guentzel (59) in the third period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, April 12, 2022, in Elmont, N.Y. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger) Credit: AP/Adam Hunger
Ilya Sorokin’s competitiveness reminds Zach Parise of former Devils’ teammate, Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur. The goalie’s athleticism has Islanders coach Barry Trotz recalling Pekka Rinne, his netminder with the Predators.
Those are hefty compliments for the 26-year-old Russian, just completing his second NHL season after a standout KHL career. But Sorokin keeps giving the Islanders reason to praise him.
The latest was Sorokin making a career-high 43 saves in Tuesday night’s 5-4 shootout win over the Penguins at UBS Arena to open a home-and-home series. The teams meet again Thursday night in Pittsburgh with Sorokin very likely to start consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 27-March 1.
“Possibly, yeah,” Trotz said. “We’ve got a lot of games and some back-to-backs. We know where we are. We’re not going to put him in a position where we’re going to put him at any risk. I think both goaltenders, at some point, deserve to play not in an alternating rotation.”
The Islanders, who did not practice on Wednesday before starting a three-game road trip, also play in Montreal on Friday night so Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov will almost certainly split those starts.
Sorokin missed four games with a head injury after taking two pucks to the mask and exiting a 4-1 loss to the visiting Lightning on March 27. He improved to 24-14-7 with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage with Tuesday’s win.
Sorokin was drafted in the third round in 2014 but didn’t join the organization until CSKA Moscow’s season ended in 2020. Sorokin met the Islanders in the playoff bubble in Toronto even though he was ineligible for postseason play.
“He’s a committed guy,” Josh Bailey said. “Showing up to the bubble knowing he’s not going to get a chance to play and getting to know us. I think Varly and him have a special relationship, too. He’s really been there for him. He’s just been a great addition to our room. He’s put in the time to learn some English. He’s just a character guy.”
Sorokin did go 4-1 with a 2.79 GAA and a .922 save percentage in last season’s playoffs as the Islanders again advanced to the NHL semifinals before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup-champion Lightning.
That almost certainly won’t be the case this season as the Islanders (34-29-9) remain 15 points out of a playoff spot with 10 games to play and any combination of five points lost by them or gained by the Capitals will seal their elimination.
Sorokin will be counted upon heavily to keep it to a one-season absence from the playoffs.
“He’s not just a blocking butterfly,” Parise said. “He’s a butterfly goalie but he reacts really well. Honestly, he reminds a lot of Marty with his competitiveness. Marty was like that where first shot, initial shot, rebound, he did not want you to score practice. Sorokie is a lot like that.”
Parise, though, has yet to tell Sorokin that.
“I just thought about it right now.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
