Ilya Sorokin makes 46 saves in shutout, but Islanders fall to Avalanche in shootout
Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stretches during a timeout in the first period of an NHL game against the Avalanche on Monday in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
DENVER — Ilya Sorokin deserved to snap his personal losing streak, making 46 saves for his third shutout of the season on Monday night.
But former Ranger Alexandar Georgiev stopped all 26 shots he faced for his third career shutout against the Islanders, then turned aside three more shots in the shootout as the Avalanche won, 1-0, at Ball Arena.
“He played great and it was good to see,” Islanders coach Lane Lambert said of Sorokin, who has lost six straight starts and had allowed 13 goals in his previous three. “He fought through traffic. He fought through deflections. He was outstanding.”
“I don’t think ‘bounce-back’ is the right word because he’s been playing great,” Zach Parise said. “I don’t think there’s been any decline in his game. A couple of pretty odd bounces in Arizona [in a 5-4 loss on Friday].”
Evan Rodrigues scored the only goal in the shootout for the defending Stanley Cup champion Avalanche (17-11-2), deking to his forehand in the first round.
Simon Holmstrom, Mathew Barzal and Anthony Beauvillier were unable to beat Georgiev in the shootout.
The Islanders (18-13-2) are 1-1-2 on their five-game road trip, their longest of the season, which will end Thursday night against the Rangers. They have been shut out four times this season and twice in the last five games.
“We feel like we deserve more than a point,” Beauvillier said. “I thought overall our game was really good. Just getting out of here with one point is kind of frustrating, but at the same time, we’re happy with our game.”
A sharp Sorokin is crucial to the Islanders, particularly with goalie Semyon Varlamov day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered in the third period of Saturday’s 5-2 win over Vegas.
Besides Sorokin, the most notable thing in Monday’s game was Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar signaling to the referees that he had fallen on his own after Barzal initially was called for a tripping penalty with 42.1 seconds left in the first period. The penalty then was waved off.
“I don’t even really know what to say,” Barzal said. “Good eye on Cale to wave it off. It was nice of him.”
Lambert said he had never seen anything like that.
“No, I haven’t,” he said. “Just an honest player who wants to be fair and square.”
Sorokin made 15 saves in the second period, knocking away Mikko Rantanen’s blast from the right circle and Artturi Lehkonen’s rebound try from the slot on the Avalanche’s second power play, then denying Lehkonen from the right circle in the final minute. He stopped 19 shots in the third period.
Sorokin also stopped Makar’s close-range wrist shot with six seconds left in overtime and Makar’s subsequent rebound attempt.
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.
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