Ilya Sorokin’s Big Win with the Islanders
When reporters entered the visitors’ dressing room at Madison Square Garden after the Islanders secured a 5-0 victory, they found Ilya Sorokin deep in conversation with Sergei Naumovs.
After achieving his first shutout this season, it felt like more of a celebration than anything else, right?
Interestingly, Sorokin’s performance has notably improved since Naumovs took over as the Islanders’ goaltending coach in the sixth game of the season. His recent game against the Rangers, where he faced 33 shots, showcased one of the best outings by an Islanders goalie in quite a while.
“I think he’s playing with confidence,” said Islanders coach Patrick Roy. “The change in goalie coach seems to have made him very happy, and it’s clear they have a good rapport, which is beneficial for both the team and him.”
Naumovs is no stranger to Sorokin’s style, having coached him at CSKA Moscow in the KHL and acting as his personal goalie coach for some time. But, coaching in the NHL—well, that’s a different ballgame.
“That was six years ago, a lot has changed since, and we still need time to adjust,” Sorokin shared, perhaps reflecting on his journey. “It’s kind of like back in the KHL; we have many games and strive to make our practice hours count.”
Indeed, he’s taken advantage of his limited practice opportunities. Since stepping in, his activity level in the crease has noticeably picked up, and his puck-tracking was impressive during Saturday’s game. His reaction time has long been one of his strengths, and he seemed quicker than ever.
As the Rangers controlled the early stages of the game, Sorokin stood firm, ensuring his team maintained a lead that ballooned to three goals in the third period.
That’s quite a contrast from where Sorokin was just a month ago; back then, he seemed almost like a mere shadow of himself, struggling through his initial four starts.
“I wouldn’t say much has changed,” he reflected about his mindset. “It’s tough to pinpoint. Just focusing on the details, yet the big picture remains the same.”
Coach Roy decided to shake things up Saturday by altering lines and defensive pairings.
Mathew Barzal returned to center, flanked by Jonathan Drouin and Simon Holmstrom. Bo Horvat paired with Emil Heineman and Kyle Palmeri, whereas Anders Lee, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Anthony Duclair made up another line. The fourth line featured Maxim Tsyplakov, Casey Zikas, and Cal Ritchie.
Notably, Matthew Schaefer paired with Ryan Purock for the first time in his career, and Adam Pelech was alongside Tony DeAngelo, with Alexander Romanov positioned next to Scott Mayfield.
Tsyplakov had performed admirably in the prior four games but was back on the ice for the first time since Oct. 30, having missed action against Carolina.
