Another Elite Sorokin Masterpiece Lifts Islanders in Game Five

The New York Islanders needed the elite Ilya Sorokin to show up on Tuesday night with their backs against the wall and that he did to help New York stave off elimination.

Through the first four games of this series, New York Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin had not played to the elite level we saw during the regular season.

That didn't mean he was bad, but the 27-year-old had set a rather high bar for himself and just hadn't hit that.

With the Islanders trailing 3-1 in the series, they would need the elite Ilya Sorokin to show up on Tuesday night to stave off elimination.

And that was the version the Islanders got, as he stopped 34 of 36, nine of 10 high-danger chances, en route to the 3-2 win.

The Islanders found themselves on the penalty kill four times, with Sorokin making five saves, four high-danger ones, to help the kill go perfect on the night.

His best save of the night came while the Islanders were shorthanded as he robbed Canes' forward Seth Jarvis sliding to his left to stop a back-door play"

"That was backdoor pass pass?" Sorokin asked to make sure that's what we were asking about. "Last game was same goal, so today he make shot to my glove. Luck on my side." 

It was a Sorokin masterpiece.

"He's special. He really is. He's been our backbone all year," Islanders forward Mathew Barzal said. "You look at the most important players in the league to their own teams, I think he's in the top three or five players in the league."

One thing that hadn't been lacking from Sorokin through the first four games was his anticipation, as that's the strongest part of his game -- along with his athleticism.

What was different Tuesday night was that not only was he anticipating, but he was tracking the ensuing shot, allowing him to make those elite saves that were missing from his game, and controlling the rebounds in the process. 

"He was really solid," Islanders captain Anders Lee said. "He had to make some big saves in some big moments. And he was tracking the puck phenomenally tonight. Big reason why we won."

Here's what Sorokin said about the help he got in front tonight, as the Islanders blocked 21 Hurricanes shots. 

"Play good defense and made block shots. So team made a lot of opportunity for me," Sorokin said. 

As for if he focused on raising his performance in a potential elimination game: "I try doing nothing new. So I believe in my game, my system, and our system."

With the series now shifting home, the Islanders still find themselves down three games to two. 

Elite Sorokin will be needed yet again to force a Game Seven. 

"I mean, yeah, we're gonna need him," Hudson Fasching said. "He's just one of the best in the league, and he played like it tonight. And I think we rely on him, and we just got to try not to rely on him too much."

Pierre Engvall weighed in: "He's unbelievable. I haven't been here for that long, and you see that he's just getting better and better, and he's making those huge, important saves for us."

Ilya Sorokin stole a game, a game the New York Islanders needed him to. Now it's about him stealing two more to get New York into the second round.

But it starts with an elite performance Friday night when the puck drops at 7 PM ET for Game Six at UBS Arena.