Islanders: Three takeaways as they escape Philadelphia with 2-1 OT win

The New York Islanders didn’t bring their best in Philadelphia on Monday. But, thanks to several key contributors, they escaped with two points.

It didn’t look great for most of the night. The New York Islanders had only managed two shots from the inner slot through 40 minutes of action in Philadelphia and were trailing 1-0 entering the third period. But, thanks to some timely contributions, they forced overtime, eventually winning on an Anthony Beauvillier wraparound goal.

Here are three takeaways from what was a really undeserved Islanders win.

1. Ilya Sorokin’s Best NHL Start & is Building a Strong Rookie Campaign

Ilya Sorokin arrived to the Islanders pre-playoff bubble mini-camp as a thoroughly hyped goalie prospect with absurd SV% numbers throughout his time in the KHL. The opportunity to get him across the Atlantic had eluded the Islanders for so long, it only served to build his legend, to stack the expectations of the fanbase.

So when Sorokin did finally make the trans-Atlantic trip, obviously there were expectations of greatness. Maybe those expectations were too high at points, and maybe they only served to disappoint Islanders fans when the 25-year-old Russian was thrust last minute into his first NHL start at Madison Square Garden, earlier this season.

That first start didn’t end well, and the next few that followed, thanks in large part to a lack of goal support by his team, didn’t either.

Sorokin has shown flashes of elite athleticism, and a propensity for making flashy, dramatic glove saves since those first two starts. His game has still been a bit rough around the edges though. He’s allowed a soft goal here, a poorly placed rebound there, and has seemed lost in his net more than once despite a now eight-game win streak that dates back to February 16.

But there can only be one narrative after the Islanders Monday overtime win in Philadelphia. That narrative is that Ilya Sorokin won this game for his team, and did so with a thoroughly impressive performance that tops any he’s had in 2020-21.

Sorokin didn’t look the part of the hyped rookie goalie trying to find his way through his first NHL season on Monday. He looked like a player who has grown increasingly more comfortable in his role.

The Islander goalie tracked shots well throughout the game. He was called upon to make big saves a couple of times in order to keep his team in it, and when he had to he did so with a confidence we had not seen from him previously. Sorokin made 36 saves on 37 shots Monday, the only shot that beat him appeared to be redirected into the net by a kick from the Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom.

Lots of Islanders fans keep talking about needing a goalie who will steal their team a game, alluding to the idea that neither Sorokin nor Semyon Varlamov are capable of doing so. Well, it looks to me like Sorokin just stole the Islanders a game on Monday.

2. Oliver Wahlstrom’s Impact Continues to be Felt

Ilya Sorokin was the Islanders’ best player Monday, and there’s no way to honestly spin the tale of that game without acknowledging it. But, if you were trying to make a case for the second-best Islander, you could do a lot worse than Oliver Wahlstrom’s performance.

After a slow first ten appearances of the 2020-21 season which saw him trying to adapt to the speed of the NHL game, Wahlstrom has come into his own in a big way for the Islanders. He’s become a mainstay in the lineup anchored alongside J.G. Pageau on the Islanders’ increasingly well-performing third line, and he’s got the numbers to show for it.

Wahlstrom, never afraid to use his killer shot, launched six attempts toward the net on Monday, with three of those coming from the inner slot. He finished with the highest Individual Expected Goals total of any Islander skater at 5v5, and was the one to bury the game-tying goal that forced overtime.

Like with the goalie position, the Islanders have been waiting for a true goal-scorer to grace their prospect system for a long time now. Wahlstrom, it appears, is that long-awaited sniper. While his Monday goal was just about scooping up a loose puck in the crease and punching it home, the 20-year-old winger’s shot has mesmerized this season.

There’s probably no other player on this Islanders team who I’d rather see get the puck on his stick with an open look right now than Oliver Wahlstrom. His shot is that dangerous, and he’s been that light’s out when it comes to burying his scoring chances.

Michel Anderson opined on why Wahlstrom deserves some consideration for this season’s Calder Trophy recently, and yeah, he’s absolutely right. Wahlstrom does deserve consideration if he can continue scoring at this pace.

It’s been said a lot, but Wahlstrom represents another missing piece that the Islanders have lacked for many years now, and that’s a dangerous shooter. In my last three takeaways, I mentioned he’s the most-exciting Islanders rookie since Mat Barzal, but from a strictly shooting, goal scorer’s perspective, he’s more exciting.

If there’s one area I’d like to see Wahlstrom improve upon moving forward, it’d be his skating. He’s not a bad skater per se, but his 5v5 game would be well served by adding a more explosive first few strides. That, fortunately, is something that can be worked on, especially as a 20-year-old.

Former world champion figure skater Barbara Underhill has transformed average to below-average draft-eligible skaters into some of the NHL’s best. Just look at the improvement to Lightning center Brayden Point’s skating since he worked with her. Adding that extra layer to Wahlstrom’s game would make him a nightmarish force to cover at 5v5, and I’m all here for it.