Ilya Sorokin passes NY Islanders legend and snaps personal losing streak versus rival

Last night's win was exactly what Ilya Sorokin needed: a performance to serve as a reminder to himself and the fans that he still has every tool to be one of the NHL’s elite goaltenders.

The New York Rangers games hadn’t been kind to Sorokin in recent years. Coming into Saturday night, the New York Islanders netminder was 0-5-2 in his last seven starts against the Blueshirts and had managed only two wins in nine career head-to-head matchups with his friend and fellow countryman Igor Shesterkin.

But on Saturday night at MSG, Sorokin perhaps began to rewrite the narrative.

He stopped all 33 shots he faced in the Islanders’ 5-0 win, outdueling Shesterkin for just the third time in ten meetings and looking like the dominant, confident goaltender Isles fans know he can be.

Sorokin’s night started with an exclamation point, a point-blank stop on Artemi Panarin in the opening minute. He later turned away a barrage of one-timers from Mika Zibanejad, stopping 10 combined shots between the Rangers’ two biggest offensive weapons. Time and again, when the Isles needed him to hold the line, Sorokin was there.

“I was just playing minute-by-minute,” Sorokin said. “I don’t think about result, but stay focused all game.”

The shutout - his 23rd career clean sheet - was a milestone, moving him past Billy Smith into sole possession of second place on the Islanders’ all-time list. But more importantly, it was a return to form. After allowing three or more goals in each of his first seven games this season, Sorokin has now allowed one or fewer in two of his last three starts.

It’s been a bumpy start for the Isles’ franchise goalie, but Saturday night’s performance against their biggest rival may be the turning point that restores both his rhythm and his swagger.