Islanders Secure Win Against Lightning, Thanks to Sorokin
The Lightning must be relieved that they won’t face Ilya Sorokin again this season.
Just a week after Sorokin blanked them in Tampa Bay, the Islanders’ standout goaltender propelled his team to a win over the Lightning on Saturday, making it their third victory against them this season.
Despite being outmatched in terms of strength, firepower, and personnel—especially without Bo Horvat due to a lower-body injury—the Islanders managed to clinch a 3-2 victory, highlighted by Emil Heineman’s shootout winner. This win marked the first time since 2013 that the Islanders took the season series against the Lightning.
Adding to the day’s significance, Pat LaFontaine was emotionally inducted into the Islanders Hall of Fame. For at least a few hours, the Islanders even found themselves briefly on top of the Eastern Conference, though that changed as other teams took the ice later.
LaFontaine couldn’t help but highlight his connection with rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer, noting their shared agency, Newport Sports. “He just turned 18, and—well, I hate to say this—but the term ‘generational talent’… comes to mind,” LaFontaine remarked during a quieter moment. “He’s a special player.”
This was said after Schaefer made an impact early on, netting a goal just over three minutes into the game with a one-timer, giving the Islanders a quick 1-0 lead. Cal Ritchie, another promising rookie, followed suit just seven minutes later, with Anthony Duclair assisting for a 2-0 advantage.
However, the Islanders faced a challenge as that was pretty much the extent of their offensive output for most of the game. They held a narrow lead heading into the third period but saw the Lightning tighten the gap with a power-play goal from Darren Radish in the second.
Things shifted again when JJ Moser scored early in the third, tying it at 2-2. His shot found its way in, hitting the roof of the net, a bit of a setback for Sorokin.
Despite this, the game was largely controlled by the Lightning from the outset. At one point, it felt like just salvaging a point and pushing the game to overtime would be more than the Islanders deserved. They even gained a glimmer of hope as Radish nearly scored again, only to hit the post with just seconds left.
In a twist, they managed to score a second goal, thanks largely to Sorokin’s heroics. He stood tall, denying Jake Guentzel in the overtime, which allowed the game to go to a shootout where he triumphed against Johansson.
That said, relying on this strategy for victories raises some concerns about the Islanders’ performance. The fourth line struggled, and the newly configured second line featuring Duclair, Max Shabanov, and Ritchie didn’t quite click as intended.
Overall, while there were areas to improve upon—like the lack of a consistent cycle game and a less-than-ideal breakout—Sorokin played exceptionally well, living up to the Islanders’ high expectations.
Sometimes, that’s all you need for a win.
