Sorokin Sets Islanders Franchise Record After Win Against Florida
Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesIlya Sorokin earned the win in net for the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers on Sunday and made some unique history in the process.
Per Eric Hornick’s The Skinny, the netminder became the first goalie in team history to win at least 25 games in four straight seasons.
Sorokin accomplished the feat with 22 saves on 24 shots in the win, only allowing two goals in the second period. He improved to 25-20-5 with a 2.73 GAA and .907 SV% this season in 50 games.
The Islanders have had their fair share of great netminders, but only two have come close to reaching the milestone: Chico Resch and Rick DiPietro. Resch won at least 25 games in three straight seasons from 1976-77 to 1978-79, including his career-high 28 victories, but the streak was snapped in the team’s first Stanley Cup season.
DiPietro impressed in the early stages of his career, reaching at least 25 wins from 2005-06 to 2007-08, including a pair of 30-win campaigns. However, injuries derailed his career from there, preventing him from getting to four straight.
Even with some other great names in their history, including Jaroslav Halak, Thoams Greiss, Semyon Varlamov, and Kelly Hrudey, none of them ever hit 25 wins with regularity. However, Sorokin’s success has provided a new form of stability, and the numbers back it up.
In his career, Sorokin is now 120-85-35 in 242 career games with a .916 SV%, 2.58 GAA, and 21 shutouts. He sits fourth in franchise history in wins and third in shutouts, one back of Smith for second all-time and four back of Resch for first.
With Sorokin under contract for the long haul, it’s entirely possible he can be the franchise’s leader in shutouts and give Smith’s record for wins a run for its money. However, success starts with sustainability, and that’s what Sorokin’s given the Islanders in his first five seasons in the NHL.
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Matthew Page wrote this story.