The Islanders have a lot to fix if they’re going to get into the playoffs.
Getting the maximum out of Ilya Sorokin, though, is non-negotiable.
Sorokin has been far from the biggest issue with the Islanders this season, and it’s harsh to say he’s even been an issue at all.
The netminder has faced more shots than any other goalie in the league and has a solid .910 save percentage. So it’s not as if the Islanders have faced a crisis in net.
But compared to his 2022-23 campaign, in which Sorokin finished second for the Vezina Trophy with a .924 save percentage, he’s been a tick worse.
And that has mattered.
So the 35 saves Sorokin made in a 3-2 win over the Maple Leafs on Monday night, including seven stops in the final minutes with Toronto skating at six-on-five, felt like something of a return to form.
“He was really good,” Isles coach Patrick Roy said. “In the first, we made a couple of mistakes and that created a couple chances on rebounds, and he was really solid. Miscue by us on that first goal we gave up, but he made some good, key saves for us at the end of the second period. That was huge for us to give us a chance to get back in the room at 2-1 up.”
Another factor working in Sorokin’s favor now is that the Islanders are finally getting healthy — with Semyon Varlamov back in the fold as his backup, and defensemen Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock returned to the lineup.
That should add up to fewer games for Sorokin, who’s played 36 matches this year, and fewer shots in the games he does play.
“They are good defensemen,” Sorokin said of Pelech and Pulock. “All our roster [is] playing, wow.”
For the first time in a long time, Sorokin’s form appears primed to go from good to great.
And that could make all the difference for the Islanders.
The Islanders did not practice Tuesday after returning home from Toronto. They’ll next face the Lightning at home Thursday, with Tampa Bay on the second end of a back-to-back after it plays the Rangers on Wednesday.
