Chico finished 1975-76 with a 23-11-8 record along with a 2.07 goals against; 45 years later as a rookie, Sorokin earned a 2.17 goals against average and a .916 save percentage.

In March 1975 Glenn Resch was between the pipes for a New York Islanders team challenging for a playoff berth, and now Ilya Sorokin is doing likewise for the contemporary Isles.

"It was 48 years ago," Resch remembered. "We (the Isles) had missed the postseason in 1972-73 and 1973-74 so this was our third crack at it."

Coached by Al Arbour, the Islanders were neck and neck with the Atlanta Flames for the last available playoff berth with a week to go and ultimately beat them out the Flames. It proved to be a milestone event in the Isles history.

Resch: "We had an incredible run once we got in and beat the Rangers two games to one (best of three) in the first round and then had that incredible series with the Penguins.

"We were down three games to none and then made this comeback that had only been done once before (1942 Maple Leafs) in the playoffs. We won four straight games."

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtdHTCPGsWk[/embed]

Like Sorokin who has Semyon Varlamov as his netminding partner, Resch's crease pal was Billy (Battlin' Bill) Smith. One of Al Arbour's most difficult tasks was juggling his two goalies in a rotation. Like Sorokin, Resch emerged as the top banana at that time.

Chico finished the 1975-76 campaign with a solid 23-11-8 record with seven shutouts and a 2.07 goals-against mark.

Some 45 years later Sorokin made his Islanders debut on January 16, 2021.

As a rookie, he played 22 games and finished with a 2.17 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage.

A year later (2021-22) Ilya played 52 games and recorded a 2.40 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Like Resch in the Islanders' initial era, the Russian stopper became the backbone of the franchise.

From the depths of a mid-February slump, Solorkin lifted the club up to a winning streak that brought them back into contention for a playoff berth. Two plays in particular -- among many -- "stole" wins for the Isles.

Early in March, against New York's Wild Card foe, the Penguins, Ilya executed a rare pokecheck at the goalmouth to his right against Pittsburgh's Richard Rakell. "It was a gutsy move," said ESPN analyst Brian Boucher, a former NHL goalie.

But a gem. Ilya's deft pokecheck sent the puck skimming to Brock Nelson who scored on the overtime breakaway. In his 123d game, Sorokin received his first career point.

A couple of weeks later, Sorokin produced what some critics have called "The Highlight Reel save of the season."

Skating against Toronto, the Isles were under siege when the Maple Leafs

Erik Gustaffson took a feed from Mitch Marner and had a six-by-four feet yawning net to shoot at with Sorokin 'way out of position.

The Leafs defenseman shot -- assured that he had a goal -- but somehow the wheeling Sorokin got his paddle on the puck and deflected it out of danger.

It was rated the NHL best save of the week.

After Sorokin helped defeat the Devils, 5-1 on Monday night, Resch told me:

"Ilya is so good that he should be in the Vezina Trophy conversation."

Varlamov has remained supportive of Sorokin just as Resch was of Smitty when g.m. Bill Torrey and coach Arbour designated Battlin' Bill their No. 1 man for the 1980 playoffs that eventually launched the Dynasty.

"Bill and I may have different personalities," Resch remembered, "but we always got along; right to the end. And we're still pals."

Resch's Islanders career ended at the trade deadline of the 1980-81 season when Torrey dealt him to the Colorado Rockies. When the Rockies moved to New Jersey, Chico quickly became a Devils hero.

He still is as radio analyst along with play by play man, Matt Loughlin. At the rate Sorokin has been performing, he should be an Islander as long as Chico had been.

...And a fan favorite as well.