The New York Islanders officially eliminated the Pittsburgh Penguins from the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Game 6 on May 26, 2021. While the series win was a team effort, there were a few Islanders who had an unexpected breakout performance in Round One.

Scott Mayfield

Many fans were unsatisfied with how Scott Mayfield played during the regular season. However, he stepped his game up for the playoffs and played great against Pittsburgh. Mayfield ended the series with some of the best stats on the team. He had the highest plus/minus rating on the team with a +6. Mayfield also had the most assists (three) and points (four) among the defensemen. Additionally, he registered 16 shots on goal which was the second-most on the team.

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Mayfield played great throughout the series, but he played exceptionally well in Game 3. He scored a goal and had two assists. Coach Barry Trotz was very happy with Mayfield’s performance in Game 3. “What he’s doing is he’s getting a shot through and we’re getting some traffic and you know, that’s what you need”, Trotz said in a post-game interview when asked about Mayfield. Mayfield’s ability to generate offense while also playing strong defense contributed greatly to the Islanders’ success in Round One.

Josh Bailey

Josh Bailey is another player who left fans feeling rather frustrated during the regular season. However, he played outstanding in the First Round. He registered at least one point in four of the six games. Bailey and three other players led the team for most goals scored with three goals each. He also recorded six points (three goals and three assists) which is the second-most on the team. Along with Mayfield, Bailey had 16 shots on goal, second only to Anthony Beauvillier with 21.

In Game 5, Bailey scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime. That win was huge for the Isles. Not only did it put them ahead in the series 3-2, but it also gave them the opportunity to win the series in Game 6 on home ice (which the Islanders did end up doing). None of that would have been possible without the goal by Josh Bailey.

Ilya Sorokin

Ilya Sorokin had a stellar rookie season yet, he was not anticipated to play in the postseason due to the fact that he had no NHL Playoff experience. However, when Semyon Varlamov was not able to play in Game 1, Ilya Sorokin was given the opportunity to make his Stanley Cup Playoffs debut. Sorokin played in four of the six games and won every single one of them. He had 159 shots against and only let in nine for a save percentage of .943. Sorokin also had a goals-against-average of only 1.95.

“Outstanding. I mean I can use all the ones that you want to write, they all will apply. He was outstanding. He gave us a chance. I mean the first two periods were not pretty and it allowed us to hang around. And I thought we, in the third we got better. I thought in the overtime we got better and then obviously we were able to get a goal. So, it all goes upfront on Ilya. We don’t have a chance if he doesn’t have an outstanding game in the first two periods for sure”, Trotz said in an interview after Game 5 when asked to describe Ilya’s performance in the game.

Many fans agree with Trotz’s statement that the Islanders would not have had a chance without Sorokin in net. Across social media, Ilya Sorokin is being called “Soroking” for his incredible goaltending. It is no coincidence that the Islanders won all of the games where Sorokin was in net. His flexibility, coordination, and ability to track the puck are a huge reason why the New York Islanders were able to eliminate the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games.

Round Two

The Islanders will be facing the Boston Bruins in the Second Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It will be a tough series both physically and mentally. However, if the Isles continue to play hard and stick to their game, they will have a very good chance of defeating Boston and advancing to the next round.

Maisy Healy

I am a huge Islanders fan and love spreading my passion for the team here at Drive4Five.  Along with writing, I also co-manage the Drive4Five TikTok and Facebook accounts.