From an abysmal start to Eastern Conference contention. Discover the Islanders' remarkable turnaround fueled by Sorokin's brilliance and a lockdown defense.
After a 3-2 shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, the New York Islanders found themselves in first place in not just the Metropolitan Division, but the Eastern Conference:
Being on top of the world only lasted for three hours with the Carolina Hurricanes erasing a two-goal deficit to beat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in a shootout, it was something for the Islanders to be proud of.
After a 0-3-0 start, the outlook on Patrick Roy's team wasn't particularly good, especially with how the 2024-25 season went.
But since then, the Islanders are 19-8-3, with their 41 points since Oct. 16 the most in the Eastern Conference.
Those 41 points are second to the Avalanche, who have 46 over that span.
A major part of the Islander rise toward the top of the division and conference has a lot to do with the play of netminder Ilya Sorokin. He got off to a tough start, going 2-4-1 through his first seven appearances with a 3.75 GAA and an .868 SV%.
But since Halloween, he's rediscovered his Vezina-caliber form, going 10-4-1 with a 1.92 GAA and a .932 SV%, with three shutouts. Only the Minnesota Wild's netminder, Jesper Wallstedt, has more shutouts in that span or this season; no goalie has more than ten wins in that span, per Islanders statistician Eric Hornick.
Sorokin deserves all the credit in the world, but there's no question that the Islanders have shored up their defense, which has gone a long way. The penalty kill has been dominant, killing off 36 of the last 38 and 53 of the last 58. The 53-58 dates back to October 30th, and their 91.4% kill rate is the best in the NHL in that span.
One of the biggest differences, in a season of differences, from last season to this season has been the team finding ways to win.
Last season, the Islanders found a way to lose a lot of games, even if they played well to start. This season, they've more or less been like Edwin Diaz, even if he's allowed a few guys on base to begin the ninth.
With their recovery against Tampa, the Islanders improved to 8-0-1 when leading after two periods and 15-1-3 when leading or tied.
"It just shows us that we're doing the right thing, by having that joy, having that compassion, having that boldness," Roy said. "It's exactly what this team needs, and seeing our guys the way they've been playing, and what they're doing, I'm so proud of them. They deserve so much credit for what they've been doing. It's exciting for our franchise."