ELMONT — If there’s one thing you can constantly say about Islanders’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin is that his demeanor never changes no matter the situation.
Through the good and the bad, the star goaltender’s play has remained the backbone of the Islanders through it all, and that includes the team’s most recent twist of the loss of Mathew Barzal for an indefinite amount of time. While Sorokin said that he didn’t feel any extra pressure to step up with Barzal out of the lineup, he has stopped 69 of the 72 shots he faced in his last two starts since the news and has a .958 save percentage in that span.
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On Wednesday, Sorokin turned away shot after shot from the high-powered Winnipeg Jets offense, that put 24 on the net, and made it look easy. Sorokin never once looked like he was caught out of position or unsure of where a shot was going.
It’s something Sorokin has mastered over his short NHL career, but the key to remaining so steady through the ups and downs hasn’t been too complicated.
“Don’t (overthink),” Soroking said after the 2-1 win over the Jets. “Think just one game. … Today’s game and nothing else. So live n one day. Tomorrow will be tomorrow.”
Part of it, Sorokin explained, was keeping to the routine he has developed over time with the Islanders. Still, it’s nothing over the top, starting with the morning skate, getting in a good lunch, a nap and then a workout before the game.
“It’s simple. Nothing special,” Sorokin said.
Whatever he has been doing it’s hard to argue with because Sorkin has been one of the best netminders in the NHL this season and could find himself back in the Vezina conversation. His .925 save percentage is tied for third-best in the league and his 2.39 goals-against average is tied for seventh in the NHL.
And that’s without mentioning the five shutouts that Sorokin has is tied for the most among all NHL goaltenders this season.
Veteran forward Matt Martin joked after the game that as Sorokin’s English has gotten better he has become more “yappy” in the locker room on game days. Perhaps that has been the key for the 27-year-old Russian.
The Islanders’ grinder turned first liner also noted how much Sorokin’s calmness resonates through the rest of the team on the ice.
“He’s got a great personality and even-keeled in the net at all times,” Martin said. “I think that both of our goalies are and I think that is a real calming influence for us, because they never seem to be rattled. They’re never“` yelling and screaming at anybody and it just keeps everything settled down. We’re fully confident that when things do break down, they’re going to make big saves for us like they always do.”
The Islanders will need everything that Sorokin can give them over the second half of the season. Two big wins this week have put the Islanders in a playoff spot and they’ll need every win they can get going forward.
That means Sorokin will need to continue to play at the level he has for the Islanders to have a fighting chance at the postseason.
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