PITTSBURGH — All of it appears fairly quaint now, that large preseason dialog about lowering Ilya Sorokin’s workload.
Actuality has a manner of getting in the best way of issues, and it’s been a good few months because you heard the phrase “back surgery,” hasn’t it?
Everybody concerned would most likely acknowledge that it’s lower than supreme for Sorokin to have began 14 of the Islanders’ previous 15 video games, and all however seven since Semyon Varlamov received damage on Black Friday.
However even with Marcus Hogberg again within the fold, everybody would likewise word that with simply two back-to-backs left this season, the Islanders might very nicely find yourself asking Sorokin to play 49 of their remaining 58 video games by the point the 12 months wraps up a month from now.
And in the event that they make the playoffs, Sorokin is all however assured to be a reasonably large cause why.
Quietly, he’s additionally been the Islanders’ greatest participant because the commerce deadline, with a .930 save proportion over his previous 5 begins heading into Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to the instantly scorching Penguins.
The Islanders can hardly afford to drop a recreation at this level, not to mention one in opposition to a crew beneath them within the standings.
So with Sorokin getting Monday off between video games, he’ll probably be in internet in opposition to a Pittsburgh crew he’s overwhelmed twice this season, together with a shootout win in mid-November.
Even in Sunday’s win in opposition to the Panthers, when the Islanders performed a robust defensive recreation for many of the night time, Sorokin ended up with an enormous function to play towards the top, making eight of his 22 saves within the remaining 1:34 of regulation with Florida skating at six-on-five.
“I thought we played well in front of him,” coach Patrick Roy mentioned. “I think in the first period we gave zero chances, in the second maybe four or five, and in the third they had zero chances until that five-on-six.”
After which, an entire lot of possibilities — all of which Sorokin stopped.
It’s not fairly two years in the past when Sorokin stole recreation after recreation to get the Islanders into the playoffs.
However with the Islanders nonetheless determining methods to successfully function their offense post-Brock Nelson, the goalie has a key function to play.
The Islanders didn’t maintain apply Monday earlier than flying to Pittsburgh.
