A couple shutouts from Ilya Sorokin meant a lot for a struggling New York Islanders club.

The Islanders started the 2021-22 season a little flat, posting a 1-2-1 record before their date with Arizona on Saturday night. The Islanders have become somewhat notorious for slow starts in their last few years in the NHL so fans had little to worry about. But could they turn their play around during a 13-game road trip?

The Islanders have long struggled to find success on the road, and a terrible start could’ve jeopardized the Islanders’ Stanley Cup aspirations. After losing an overtime game to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night, the Islanders faced back-to-back games against the Arizona Coyotes and Vegas Golden Knights. Islanders’ goaltender Ilya Sorokin was incredible, posting back-to-back shutouts to put the Islander over .500 for the first time this season.

This past summer, the Coyotes acquired older players and their bloated contracts in exchange for future draft picks. Arizona came into the game with a 0-3-1 record while the Islanders were 1-2-1. Despite the Coyotes’ subpar roster, no game in the NHL is a free win. The Islanders came out strong and were able to get the win. Not only did the Islanders win, but Ilya Sorokin stopped 26 out of 26 shots against the Arizona Coyotes.

Then on Sunday night, the Islanders made the trip over to Sin City to face off against Long Island fan-favorite Robin Lehner and the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights have also struggled to start the season. They, like the Islanders, were eliminated in the Stanley Cup Semifinals last postseason. Entering Sunday night’s game against the New York Islanders, the Golden Knights were 1-3-0, with the team’s only win coming against the expansion Seattle Kraken.

Ilya Sorokin shut the door once again Sunday night against stopping all 42 shots the Golden Knights threw his way.

With these two back-to-back shutouts for Sorokin, the Islanders are now over .500 for the first time this season with a record of 3-2-1. The Islanders will look to continue their winning ways Saturday when they face off against the Nashville Predators. For now, a week’s rest back on Long Island is well-deserved.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.