ST. PAUL, Minn. —
Ilya Sorokin’s voice was a bit raspy. He mentioned it was from a puck that struck his neck during the morning skate, though one could easily wonder if the flu going around in the Islanders’ locker room had anything to do with it.
Despite that, he pushed through to deliver an outstanding performance, making 33 saves that secured a 4-3 overtime win against the Wild on Saturday.
“Every period felt precarious,” Sorokin said. “I was just focusing on [Kirill] Kaprizov, and when he shot, I got my gloves up and thought to myself, ‘Thank you, God.’ It’s a solid team, and we held our ground.”
The Wild controlled the ice for much of the night, forcing the Islanders to come back from behind three times. The third period was particularly challenging, but Sorokin’s 17 saves helped stymie the Wild, especially with star players like Kaprizov and defenseman Quinn Hughes on the ice.
“He’s shown consistently that he’s the best goalie in the league, no contest,” said Simon Holmstrom, who netted three goals, including the decisive one in overtime. “It’s really been Richie’s contributions that have been huge for us.”
As of Saturday morning, Sorokin had emerged as a frontrunner for the Vezina Trophy, potentially marking his official recognition as the league’s top goaltender for the first time.
Sorokin has been a standout player for the Islanders in his two games back since sidelining briefly due to a lower-body injury.
“You can’t come out on top in Minnesota without solid goaltending,” coach Patrick Roy noted. “They’re a strong team, so everyone had to step up. I thought he made some critical saves, and our players did well to keep the front clear for him.”
All four of the Islanders’ forward lines looked different against the Wild, with one defensive adjustment as they reintroduced Adam Boqvist to the lineup, replacing Cole McWardt, who was a healthy scratch.
Anthony Duclair was elevated to the top line with Anders Lee and Mathew Barzal, while Cal Ritchie positioned Jonathan Drouin and Emil Heineman on the second line. Jean-Gabriel Pageau centered the third line, flanked by Max Shabanov and Simon Holmström. Maxim Tsyplakov stepped in for Kyle McClain on the fourth line alongside Casey Cizikas and Mark Gakom.
When asked about potentially finalizing the lineup, Roy appeared uncertain. “We’re trying to adapt to our opponent,” he explained before the game. “Tonight’s matchup is against [Minnesota], who are currently among the best in the NHL. This is a quality team, and we’re adjusting the lines accordingly.”
