New York Islanders Ilya Sorokin earns “respect” from NHL all-time goal-scoring leader

New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin earned “respect” from the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring leader, Alex Ovechkin, following the record-breaking goal on Sunday afternoon.

In what can only be considered a twist of fate, Alex Ovechkin’s 895th career goal came against the Islanders at UBS Arena. It seems as though the stars aligned for the Islanders and Sorokin to have a share in the historic feat.

After Ovechkin scored his record-breaking goal on the power play, the Islanders players lined up to congratulate Ovechkin. During the lineup, Sorokin was the last Isles player to join. During the warm handshake among Russian countrymen, Ovechkin had a request for the Islanders’ goaltender.

NHL.com reported that Alex Ovechkin asked Sorokin for his stick to keep as a souvenir of the historic moment. When asked about what he would get in return, Sorokin replied that he was content with earning Ovechkin’s “respect.”

Indeed, Sorokin will forever be linked to Alex Ovechkin’s singular feat. Sorokin will be the answer to a trivia question like, “Who was the goalie that surrendered Alex Ovechkin’s 895th career goal?”

In the end, Sorokin and the Islander got the last laugh, taking the game 4-1 and keeping their playoff hopes alive in the Eastern Conference. The Isles are now five points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final playoff spot in the East.

Ultimately, Sunday afternoon’s game was filled with positive moments across the board.

Looking at Alex Ovechkin’s career goal total against New York Islanders

Alex Ovechkin’s history 895th goal came against the New York Islanders at UBS Arena. It seems like destiny worked its magic to make the significant feat happen against one of Ovechkin’s fiercest rivals.

But when looking at how many of those 895 goals have come against the Isles, StatMuse reports that 45 of Ovechkin’s total career goals have come against the Isles. Interestingly, Ovechkin has scored a touch over 5% of his goals against the Isles.

The first goal Ovechkin scored against the Islanders was on March 6, 2006. Ovechkin had two goals in that game as part of a 5-2 Caps’ win over the Isles. Garth Snow was in goal for that game, stopping 28 of 33 shots.

In total, Ovechkin has 45 goals and 24 assists for 69 points against the Islanders. In comparison, Ovechkin has scored 57 times against the Winnipeg Jets, torching them for 102 career points. But his favorite target is the Carolina Hurricanes, who he’s pounded for 52 goals and 54 assists for 106 total points.

In case you’re wondering, Ovechkin scored only 10 times against the defunct Arizona Coyotes. So, it seems the Coyotes fared better against Ovechkin than the Islanders. Fortunately, the Islanders haven’t been torched as much by Ovechkin as the Jets or Hurricanes have.