Sorokin and Shesterkin Will Reignite the Battle for New York
The battle of New York is one of the longest-tenured rivalries in hockey, and Ilya Sorokin and Igor Shesterkin are bringing it back to the limelight.
Physicality, finesse, and bitterness are all words associated with these contests., but the New York Islanders and New York Rangers haven’t been competitive in the same season for a while. The Islanders made the playoffs the past three seasons while the Rangers weren’t able to advance past the qualifying round in the bubble in that time frame. The two teams haven’t been in the playoffs together since 2016, and this year, the Rangers are in while the Islanders are out. That led to a dip in the excitement surrounding these matchups.
Still, New York hockey fans got to experience the goaltending excellence of both Sorokin and Shesterkin. It’s a goaltending rivalry that’s sure to last for years.
Each goaltender had incredible regular seasons. Shesterkin, who could be a finalist for the Hart Trophy for the most valuable player in the NHL, is posting a .936 save percentage, 2.02 goals-against average and 36 wins through 52 games this season. The Rangers’ backbone carried them to a top-three seed in the competitive Metropolitan Division.
How does Igor Shesterkin's season match up against the best of the analytics era?
Here's how he ranks in Wins Above Replacement compared to the top performances since 2007-08: pic.twitter.com/ptwfstLjxa
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 24, 2022
Sorokin, who should be a Vezina Finalist alongside Shesterkin, is putting up a respectable 0.926 SV%, 2.38 GAA and 25 wins through 50 games. The win totals are not as eye-popping as Shesterkin’s; they are due to the Islanders’ poor offensive ability rather than his play. But these players will perform at their peak for the next decade.
Wins is a team stat. There’s plenty of other reasons #isles G Ilya Sorokin is a worthy Vezina candidate via @TFP ⬇️:https://t.co/6JQKZP7291 https://t.co/wnVRVhedOT
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) April 18, 2022
The statistics are undeniable, but the bickering between fanbases about who is better will dominate panel debates for years to come. Obviously, Shesterkin reigns supreme this season. But if the Islanders surround Sorokin with offensive support, he could be the undisputed Vezina winner for the 2022-23 NHL season.
The New York Rangers are on the upswing. This season, they came out of their rebuild in full force, making the playoffs for the first time since 2017. The Islanders, who had a shockingly poor season — in large part due to external factors — should make a return to playoff contention next season. These two quality teams will battle tooth and nail with one another for the foreseeable future as they look to bring the Stanley Cup back to the state of New York.
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Shesterkin and Sorokin are ushering in what could be the greatest goaltending rivalry in NHL history. Even if neither team hoists the Stanley Cup it will still be exciting to see the New York teams play true, meaningful hockey with each other again starting next season.
