Chico Resch Tells Us What Makes Ilya Sorokin So Good for the Islanders

Glenn (Chico) Resch is an Islanders legend; A Stanley Cup-winner in 1980, Resch currently is radio analyst for the New Jersey Devils' broadcasts. Resch herewith presents his analysis of what makes Ilya Sorokin so adept at his profession.

Glenn (Chico) Resch is an Islanders legend; one of the most popular players ever to don the club's uniform. A Stanley Cup-winner in 1980, Resch currently is radio analyst for the New Jersey Devils' broadcasts.

Author and goaltending coach, Resch herewith presents his analysis of what makes Ilya Sorokin so adept at his profession.

Take it away, Chico!

FLAWS: "Sorokin has the least amount of flaws as any goalie in the league. His 'butterfly' is tight and compact. Very few pucks go through him. That means he forces shooters to make accurate shots to beat him. Not often does one say, 'I bet Ilya would want that one back to do over.'"

STYLE: "Ilya has a nice 'East, West' and 'North, South' flow to his movements."

"He will take a step out of the crease to challenge and cut down the open area of the shooting area at times. He's very calculated with his movements. Or, to put it another way, he reads the developing play very accurately."

THE MENTAL PART: "Mentally speaking, Sorokin doesn't seem to have many moments of losing his confidence and concentration. The other major asset he has is that he 'incorporates' very well. That means he understands the overall attitude and mindset of his team: 'Defense is how we win.'"

STRATEGY: "Ilya understands the Islanders' thinking that it's not just a matter of outscoring opponents with talent. In other words factors such as taking away cross ice passes and backdoor passes is important since Sorokin will stop thestraight on shots; and even the high-quality ones."

SOROKIN'S THINKING: "He knows that he has to outplay the goalie at the other end of the rink for the Islanders to win the game; and many nights he does just that. 

In conclusion, that has to happen if the Islanders are to upset the Carolina Hurricanes in the first playoff round!"