Islanders vs. Jets Three takeaways: Ilya Sorok(ing) is my name

It was slow but not boring, even if the goal-scoring wasn’t happening at a torrid pace. It was exactly how the New York Islanders like to play it. It might be boring to some, but the Isles don’t care cause it’s pretty damn effective.

Going into the game the Isles were riding a six-game point streak. Hard to imagine considering how they started the 2021-22 NHL season, right? Now with a 2-0 win against a VERY strong Winnipeg team, the Isles have points in their last seven games.

New York Islanders: Three takeaways for another win

Top Line Running

The top line has been “OK” of late, but there’s a reason Bailey and Palmieri have been swapped. That top line hasn’t been good enough. Lee-Barzal-Bailey was good against Montreal, but the second line of Beauvillier-Nelson-Palmieri stood out more. Today, the Isles top trio was top-notch.

Getting the top line going is imperative to the Islanders success. I know it seems odd to push Bailey to the top line, but his chemistry and connection with Anders Lee can’t be replicated. They just work VERY well together.

Brocktober Never Dies

October wasn’t very busy for the New York Islanders. The opening month of the season is, typically, when Brock Nelson is at his most effective. But with so few games, Nelson couldn’t show off like he normally does.

But in November Brock has gone off.

With another goal tonight, Nelson has five goals in the first two games of the month of November. That’s ridiculous.

Of course, he’s going to cool down at some point. But what’s the secret? Is he doing something different that’s leading to this goal scoring? Who knows exactly, but getting 6.5 shots on goal per game this month probably has something to do with it.

Soro-KING

Barry Trotz openly apologized to his goalie after the 6-2 win in Montreal. Sorokin was excellent on the night and should have had a shutout. But a mistake by the coach after he took his foot off the gas, cost his goalie what would have been his third shutout of the year.

But today, in the very next game. Sorokin got his shutout. Stopping all 24 shots he faced. Now, Sorokin has three shutouts on the year. Which ties him with Jacob Markstrom for the most in the NHL.

Think about that for a second. Sorokin has three shutouts in nine games. That’s a 33% shutout percentage. And it should be higher. He should have got one in Chicago and that one in Montreal that Barry apologized for. He should be at six shutouts in nine games. Or a 66% shutout percentage.

Again, ridiculous.