Sorokin, Isles turn the tide vs. Penguins
Rookie Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves for his second shutout, and Oliver Wahlstrom and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each scored power-play goals as the Islanders finished a strong February with a 2-0 win over the visiting Penguins on Sunday night.
The Islanders went 8-2-2 during February, with all four losses coming against the Penguins — who they were playing for sixth time in the month. The Islanders remained the only team in the league without a regulation loss at home, with a 7-0-2 mark at Nassau Coli- seum.
The 25-year-old Sorokin made his fifth start for the Islanders and both of his NHL victories have been shutouts, including his win Feb. 16 at Buffalo. It was the first time the Islanders recorded a shutout against the Penguins since January 1986 when Kelly Hrudey managed the feat.
“A lot of blocked shots gave me a lot of energy,” Sorokin said. “It’s the result of teamwork.”
Wahlstrom put the Islanders ahead at 19:20 of the first with his third goal of the season, blasting a one-timer over the left shoulder of Casey DeSmith on the power play.
Wahlstrom, the Islanders’ 2018 first-round pick, has become a lineup mainstay in recent weeks. The 6-foot-2 right wing extended his points streak to four games with the goal, while Nick Leddy’s assist was his eighth in the last eight games. Leddy leads the Islanders with 13 assists. Josh Bailey also assisted.
Sorokin’s shutout was the fifth for the Islanders in 21 games this season, a franchise first. He also became the second Islanders rookie with two straight shutouts and the first since Glenn Resch did it in December 1975.