Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Busy to end regular season
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Sorokin stopped 40 shots in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Penguins.
The 28-year-old goalie will take some momentum into the postseason. Sorokin made 40 or more saves in each of his last two starts, and he's gone 3-0-1 over his last four appearances while giving up nine goals on 133 shots (.932 save percentage). He'd been splitting work again with Semyon Varlamov to close out the regular season though, and Varly has won five straight starts of his own while posting a .945 save percentage. As a result, Varlamov seems to be the favorite to get the nod between the pipes Saturday when the Isles begin their first-round series in Carolina.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Leaves ice first Wednesday
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Sorokin was the first goalie off the ice Wednesday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports, indicating he'll be in goal at home against Pittsburgh.
With the Isles locked into the third seed in the Metropolitan Division, the team will go with Sorokin on Wednesday. That points to Semyon Varlamov being the presumptive starter for Game 1 of the postseason, which shouldn't come as a surprise considering he went 7-1-0 in eight games down the stretch. For his part, Sorokin did play in 55 games for the team this year and could jump into action in the playoffs if Varlamov struggles.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Falls to Blueshirts in shootout
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Sorokin stopped 41 shots in regulation and overtime and one of three shootout attempts in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Rangers.
The Islanders haven't quite clinched a playoff spot yet, and while Sorokin did his best to try and get his team an extra point in the standings, he wasn't able to deny Artemi Panarin in the clutch. The 28-year-old netminder is 2-0-1 over his last three starts, allowing five goals on 89 shots (.944 save percentage) as he tries to regain his peak form ahead of the postseason. Semyon Varlamov has been hot down the stretch, so it remains to be seen which goalie gets the nod for the postseason opener if the Islanders hold onto a playoff spot.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Starting on Saturday
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Sorokin will guard the road crease Saturday against the Rangers, per Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Sorokin was excellent in his last start, stopping 25 of 27 shots in a 4-2 win over Columbus on Thursday. The 28-year-old has seen his numbers drop a bit but has still been solid this season, recording a .907 save percentage and a 24-19-11 record in 54 appearances. He will have a tough matchup against the Rangers, who are 25-12-4 at home this year.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Snags win in Columbus
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Sorokin turned aside 25 shots in Thursday's 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets.
Both goals against Sorokin came in the first period, and the 28-year-old netminder shut Columbus down the rest of the way to help the Isles move back into a playoff spot. The streaky Sorokin has won two straight starts while allowing three goals on 46 shots, but that comes on the heels of six straight losses. New York might need him to stay sharp if it's going to stay ahead of Detroit, Washington and Pittsburgh in the race for the final postseason berth in the Eastern Conference.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Gets nod Thursday
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Sorokin was first off the ice at morning skate, signifying he will guard the visitors crease against the Blue Jackets on Thursday, per Ethan Sears of the New York Post.
Sorokin was solid in his last start Tuesday, stopping 18 of 19 shots in a 2-1 win over Chicago. The 28-year-old has put together a solid season, recording a .907 save percentage and a 23-19-11 record in 53 starts. He will have a favorable matchup in what is essentially a must-win home game for the Isles, as the Blue Jackets are 10-20-7 on the road this year.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Starting Tuesday
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Sorokin will protect the home net Tuesday against Chicago, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Sorokin has surrendered 21 goals on 176 shots during his six-game losing streak. He will get the second half of the Islanders' back-to-back after Semyon Varlamov plays against Philadelphia on Monday. Sorokin has a 22-19-11 record this season with a 3.07 GAA and a .906 save percentage through 52 games played. Chicago sits 32nd in the league with 2.22 goals per contest this campaign, so it's a favorable matchup for Sorokin to attempt to get back on track.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Losing streak continues
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Sorokin allowed three goals on 29 shots in a 4-0 loss to New Jersey on Sunday. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
Sorokin is mired in a six-game losing streak, during which he has posted a 3.58 GAA and an .881 save percentage. It certainly hasn't been all the netminder's fault, considering the Isles have failed to score a goal in three of those six defeats. Despite the slump, Sorokin will likely remain the preferred option in the crease ahead of Thursday's road game versus the Panthers.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Tough night in Detroit
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Sorokin stopped 18 of 23 shots in Thursday's 6-3 loss to the Red Wings, with Detroit's final goal getting scored into an empty net.
The first half of the game was actually scoreless, but the wheels fell off for the Islanders fairly quickly once Christian Fischer beat Sorokin on a breakaway just over 11 minutes into the second period. It's the 28-year-old Sorokin's fifth straight loss, a stretch in which he's stumbled to a 3.66 GAA and .878 save percentage, but the issue has been with New York's defense more than it's been with Sorokin's play. With the Isles sliding out of the playoff picture though, they need their No. 1 goalie to start stealing a win or two.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Facing Red Wings
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Sorokin will be between the visiting pipes in Detroit on Thursday, according to Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Sorokin is also slated to start Sunday versus the Devils with Sergei Varlamov getting the crease versus Winnipeg on Saturday, according to coach Patrick Roy. Sorokin has lost four straight games after winning five in a row. He is 22-17-11 with a 3.03 GAA and a .908 save percentage. Sorokin is 1-0-1 versus the Red Wings this season, having given up seven goals on 65 shots in those contests.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Falls to Carolina
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Sorokin stopped 30 of 33 shots in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes. The fourth goal was an empty-netter.
The Hurricanes scored three goals late in the first period on Sorokin, including one on the power play, and the Islanders could not overcome the deficit. It was the fourth loss in a row for Sorokin and the fifth straight loss for New York. If Sorokin's save percentage starts climbing and he can string together some wins, he could still be a valuable asset down the stretch. However, there is some risk involved in starting him right now, so consider your goalie options and matchups carefully.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Gets nod Tuesday
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Sorokin will start Tuesday at home against Carolina, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
Sorokin lost his third straight game Sunday, allowing five goals on 31 shots in a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. The 28-year-old has registered a .908 save percentage and a 22-16-11 record. He will have a tough test against Carolina -- the Hurricanes are 20-11-2 on the road this year and are averaging 3.38 goals which is tied for seventh in the league.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Loses third straight
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Sorokin made 26 saves on 31 shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Rangers.
The 28-year-old stopped all 12 shots he faced in the first period as the Islanders grabbed a 1-0 lead, but Sorokin's bubble burst 27 seconds into the second on a Mika Zibanejad one-timer, and the Rangers never looked back. Sorokin has lost three straight starts, but Sunday's outing was his first since Feb. 20 in which he's allowed more than three goals. Over that nine-start stretch, he's posted a 2.57 GAA and .903 save percentage.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Facing Rangers
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Sorokin will be between the road pipes Sunday against the Rangers, according to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
Sorokin gets the day off Saturday as the Islanders host Ottawa. Sorokin has lost his last two starts after winning five straight games. He is 22-15-11 with a 2.99 GAA and a .910 save percentage in 48 appearances this season. The Rangers average 3.27 goals, tied for 10th in the league.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Rattled by Sabres
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Sorokin stopped 33 of 36 shots in Thursday's 4-0 loss to Buffalo, with the Sabres' final goal coming into an empty net.
The game looked like it might become a goaltending duel between Sorokin and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen after a scoreless first period, but the Sabres broke through with a power-play tally early in the second frame and never looked back. Sorokin has lost two straight starts on the heels of a five-start win streak, but he hasn't allowed more than three goals in any of his last eight outings, posting a .913 save percentage over that stretch.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Takes loss Monday
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Sorokin stopped 22 of 24 shots in Monday's 3-0 loss to the Kings. The third goal was an empty-netter.
Sorokin didn't get any help from his teammates in the second half of a back-to-back. The 28-year-old saw his five-game winning streak snapped, but he still hasn't allowed more than three goals in any of his last seven outings. Sorokin is down to 22-14-11 with a 2.99 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 47 outings. The Islanders wrap up their road trip in Buffalo on Thursday.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Slated starter for Monday
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Sorokin is expected to start on the road against LA on Monday, Andrew Gross of Newsday reports Saturday.
Semyon Varlamov will get the nod Sunday versus Anaheim. Sorokin has won his last five starts while saving 116 of 126 shots (.921 save percentage). He's 22-13-11 with a 3.01 GAA and a .909 save percentage in 46 outings this season. The Kings have a 32-19-11 record but are just 13-10-7 at home, so this might be a somewhat favorable matchup for Sorokin.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: No trouble from Sharks
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Sorokin stopped 23 of 25 shots in Thursday's 7-2 win over the Sharks.
The Islanders' offense did more than enough to support Sorokin in this lopsided win. This was his fifth win in a row, and he's allowed just 10 goals in that span. That's more like the Sorokin fantasy managers know and love, a refreshing return to form for the 28-year-old late in the season. He's now 22-13-11 with a 3.01 GAA and a .910 save percentage through 46 appearances this season. The Islanders' road trip continues with a back-to-back against the Ducks on Sunday and the Kings on Monday -- look for Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov to split those starts.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Light work in win
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Sorokin allowed two goals on 21 shots in a 4-2 win over the Blues on Tuesday.
The Blues struck first on Sorokin, getting a two-goal lead in the second period, but he was able to kick aside the remaining 10 shots sent his way for the win. Sorokin has been hot of late as this was his fourth win in a row -- he has not allowed more than three goals since Feb. 20. The Islanders, now with four consecutive wins, are still in the playoff hunt. This could lead to an increased workload for Sorokin, potentially providing an opportunity for additional wins and continued strong peripheral stats.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Starting Tuesday
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Sorokin will protect the home net Tuesday against St. Louis, Stefen Rosner of NHL.com reports.
Sorokin has stopped 74 of 80 shots during his three-game winning streak. Through 44 games played this season, he has provided a 20-13-11 record with two shutouts, a 3.06 GAA and a .909 save percentage. The Blues rank 26th in the league this campaign with 2.87 goals per contest.
