Ilya Sorokin and Islanders Fall to Devils 2-0
Ilya Sorokin got his second career start, but Scott Wedgewood was the star of this one as the New Jersey Devils beat the New York Islanders 2-0. This was a tough loss for the blue and orange after Thursday night’s win at home.
Game Analysis
The game was pretty even for most of the first period. There was a lot of good saves from both Wedgewood and Sorokin. They both picked up 10 saves each.
However, Sorokin gave up two goals in the final three minutes of the period. The first goal came from Jack Hughes and the second came from Pavel Zacha.
The Devils controlled most of the second period. There were some questionable passes from New York defensemen that allowed the Devils to push the neutral zone and get takeaways. Anthony Beauvillier left the game with an undisclosed injury in the middle of the period. The blue and orange were dominant in the face-off circle on a positive note.
The third period was more of the same. There was a lot of back and forth between the two teams and more costly turnovers by the Islanders. The Islanders offense couldn’t capitalize on yet another power-play, the second of the night. This power-play was a tough one because throughout it’s entirety, the Islanders had zero shots on net.
Islanders Takeaways
Although this was a tough loss for the Islanders, there are some things can be taken away from this. One being that Michael Dal Colle is back. Today, Dal Colle returned from injury and he played like his normal self. He played hard, tough and quick.
Another takeaway is the Islanders once again dominated in the face-off circle. This is something big they can use to their advantage. However, this is now the second time this season where the Islanders have failed to provide any goals for their rookie goalie, Sorokin.
Coach Barry Trotz may want to take a look at some new offensive line combinations. Some players might be moved around a little bit more to try and make the lines look more even. The first line looks good every game, however, he may want to consider moving around the other lines to try some new things out.
What’s Next
The Islanders next game will be on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. EST against the Washington Capitals. The Capitals will be without a lot of their star players so this is something New York will hope to capitalize on.
