TAMPA, Fla. — Ilya Sorokin will not be normally one to offer detailed breakdowns of his personal play, and Thursday night time was no exception.
“I feel at one level,” Sorokin stated, requested if something had shifted for him just lately. “Nothing can change in my mind. Of course when you win, it’s positive emotions, but how our coach says, just until 12 a.m. and done. Tomorrow [is a] new day, ready for the next day.”
That mentality is a part of what’s gotten Sorokin this far in his profession.
However no matter he feels, his degree has, for sure, risen during the last month.
In reality, Sorokin’s .938 save share in January marked his greatest over one month since March 2022.
His numbers additionally dramatically improved from December, when he had an abysmal 3.45 targets allowed common and .873 save share over 14 begins, to a dominant 1.75 GAA in 9 video games because the calendar flipped.
The Islanders’ present six-game profitable streak doesn’t fairly really feel like previous runs when Sorokin has been the one factor between them and catastrophe on a nightly foundation.
The protection in entrance of him has been robust, significantly a dramatically improved penalty kill.
However the goalie is a fairly large piece of the puzzle because the Islanders cost up the standings, with an opportunity to make up a important two factors on the wild card-leading Lightning on Saturday night time in Tampa.
“He’s been really solid,” coach Patrick Roy stated after Thursday night time’s 3-0 win over the Flyers marked Sorokin’s third shutout this season. “The final two video games, I might say, towards Colorado he gave us an opportunity. And once more [Thursday] after they got here in, I assumed within the first interval, we gave them three superb probabilities and he made some [saves].
“What I love about him right now, it looks easy. And I think when a goalie’s at the top of his game, that’s the situation.”
The workload on Sorokin is ready to extend after Marcus Hogberg’s harm, a possible crimson flag as workload was a significant component in his struggles each in December and down the stretch final season.
Roy stated Thursday the plan is to play Jakub Skarek — the group’s fourth-string netminder and present backup — in some unspecified time in the future, although it’s not clear when.
It seems attainable Sorokin might be in nets for each video games of a weekend back-to-back in Tampa and Dawn, Fla., towards two groups that pose a serious problem for the Islanders.
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Isles have been robust in protection, even with latest accidents to Noah Dobson and Ryan Pulock.
Tony DeAngelo and Scott Perunovich have slot in properly up to now, and Alexander Romanov’s January was simply pretty much as good as Sorokin’s, together with his fellow Russian making an impression all around the ice.
“It’s not because of the last game or someone got injured or something. It’s hard work of the whole season,” Romanov instructed The Publish. “If you work hard, you will improve your game. If you work on the details, you should improve. You will play better.”
Throughout the Islanders’ present profitable streak, Romanov has been on the ice for simply two targets towards.
And, since he missed the membership’s solely two losses of their seven-game homestand with an upper-body harm, the Islanders haven’t misplaced a sport with No. 28 within the lineup since Jan. 2 towards the Maple Leafs.
“I knew his game a bit, but when you’re not playing with a guy, you don’t really pay too much attention,” stated DeAngelo, who has partnered Romanov since becoming a member of the Islanders. “He’s been really solid, he’s been smart, patient on breakouts. He makes guys’ heads on a swivel, coming across the ice ready to hit. And just really big, really solid. In good positions, beneficial for me, and hopefully, he feels the same way.”
