When the NHL released its three stars of the week New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin was on it. This accomplishment should not come as a surprise as the organization and the fans knew how good this kid was. Ever since the Islanders drafted 78th overall in the 2014 NHL Draft, there has been hype around him. And while he only got his first game action in the NHL last season, Sorokin showed from the start he was going to be a force in the NHL. Paired with Semyon Varlamov this duo formed one of the best goaltending tandems in the league.
Sorokin stepped in for Varlamov in the first round of the playoffs last season. If it was not for Sorokin’s play against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Islanders might not have been able to appear in back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. And though he struggled in the next round against the Boston Bruins and was ultimately replaced by Varlamov, the talent was there to be a number one goalie in the league.
However, two weeks into the season Ilya Sorokin has been the workhorse for the Islanders with Varlamov out of the lineup due to an injury. And even with Varlamov set to come back into the rotation, you have to wonder if Sorokin is the man going forward. Especially with the numbers, he is putting up.
During the Islanders four-game road trip this week, Sorokin had a record of 3-0-1, he put up 0.99 goals-against average, .971 save percentage and two shutouts. This allowed the Islanders to earn seven out of a possible eight points. Both of those shutouts came on back-to-back nights against the Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights. Sorkin was calm and cool in the net becoming the first goaltender in Islanders history to record road shutouts on consecutive days. Barry Trotz gambled and rolled the dice on Sorokin as he did not have confidence in backup goaltender Cory Schneider.
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With Varlamov set to come back, the Islanders have a situation on their hands. Ride the hot goaltender or have a rotation? It is a tough decision, but also a good problem to have with two good goalies. Varlamov has been the number one ever since he signed with the Islanders in 2019. However, Sorokin is the future and will eventually take over the number one mantle. But through six games, Sorokin is showing he is the present as he is playing at a very high level.
It will be interesting to watch what the Islanders do with their goalies going forward. They have always relied on a tandem and with Varlamov coming back into the lineup, the Islanders will most likely go with a 50-50 split. However, at some point, the Islanders will have to choose a number one goalie especially when the games become more meaningful.
The demise of the Islanders has been slowly underestimated and because of Sorokin, the Islanders have a 3-2-1 record as they head back East. While the Islanders may not be perfect, like most teams they have flaws, but one thing they have that most teams do not is steady goaltending. Ilya Sorokin is showing why the Islanders, especially Barry Trotz have so much confidence in him. Because when it comes down to it he knows how to remain calm and cool under pressure.
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