Islanders' Ilya Sorokin returns to net and blanks Devils

NEWARK — No, Ilya Sorokin said after missing two games with a lower-body injury, sitting out the rest of the season after the Islanders were eliminated from playoff contention was not a consideration if the doctors said he could play.

“I had a rest,” Sorokin said after making 25 saves for his 30th victory and fourth shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over the playoff-bound Devils on Sunday afternoon at Prudential Center.

“The doctors said I’m ready and it doesn’t matter how many games are left and we’re not in the playoffs. You should play if you can play.”

Sorokin, moving well laterally and tracking pucks through traffic, helped the Islanders (35-33-12) snap a three-game losing streak. He was hurt in the second period of Tuesday’s 7-6 overtime loss in Nashville when 6-6, 232-pound Michael McCarron fell over him.

Sorokin became the anchor of a solid response to the disappointment of Saturday afternoon’s 4-3, five-round shootout loss in Philadelphia that sealed the Islanders’ first playoff miss since 2022.

“Yeah, it’s amazing. He could have easily mailed it in for the season after we lost the last game,” Bo Horvat said after intercepting Timo Meier’s pass in the Devils’ zone and immediately lifting a wrister for the lone goal with 56.6 seconds left in the second period. “It just shows the type of person he is, player he is, teammate he is to come and play what is kind of a meaningless game for both sides.”

But while Sorokin returned, the Islanders lost defenseman Adam Pelech — who has a history of concussions — at 6:00 of the second period after he took a high hit from Paul Cotter, who was ejected.

Pelech, bleeding heavily after taking a shoulder to his nose, screamed at Cotter and slammed his helmet on the ice as he was helped to the Islanders’ room.

“We were ticked off,” Anders Lee said. “We’re the ones that our days are numbered. They’ve still got a [playoff] round to play. We thought, if we get a chance on our own, well, it’s a physical game. But I think they understood that from the people we talked to. But it’s just unnecessary.”

Coach Patrick Roy had no update on Pelech, who missed 20 games with a jaw injury from Nov. 3-Dec. 12.

“That’s the kind of hit we don’t like,” Roy said. “The kind of hit we don’t want to see happening for any team.”

Sorokin missed Thursday’s 9-2 loss to the Rangers and the loss to the Flyers. At least his season didn’t end as it started.

He missed the bulk of training camp and all six preseason games — plus the first two regular-season games — while recovering from offseason back surgery. Roy clarified on Tuesday that Sorokin’s current injury had nothing to do with his back.

Sorokin, whose 22nd career shutout tied him with Hall of Famer Bill Smith for second on the Islanders’ all-time list, was not ready to discuss his team’s disappointing season.

“We should finish the last two games and after, we can talk about the season,” Sorokin said. “Not now.”

The Islanders will host the Capitals on Tuesday and face the Blue Jackets in Columbus on Thursday.

Sorokin reached 30 wins for the second time in his five NHL seasons and is one victory shy of matching his career high.

“It’s good numbers,” said Sorokin, who is 30-23-6 with a 2.70 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. “Not perfect. But better than last year [when he went 25-19-12 with a 2.99 GAA and a .909 save percentage].”

The Devils (41-32-7), who got 21 saves from Jacob Markstrom, are locked into third place in the Metropolitan Division and will face the Hurricanes in the first round.

Notes & quotes: The Islanders managed only one shot on a five-minute power play after Cotter’s match penalty for making contact with Pelech’s head .  .  . Rookie goalie Tristan Lennox was returned to the Islanders’ AHL affiliate in Bridgeport .  .  . The AHL suspended Bridgeport’s Cole Bardreau for six games, Tyce Thompson for three games and Chris Terry for two games for their actions in a 5-3 loss to Hartford on Saturday. Bardreau and Thompson both left the bench during an altercation.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.