And a much-needed win for the Islanders, who avoided losing their first three games of the season in a row. Following their 6-2 victory over the Avalanche on Monday night at Ball Arena, they will travel to St. Louis at NHL.500 (1-1-1).
Despite concerns regarding his physical well-being and the psychological impact of the previous season’s finale, Sorokin appeared healthy from the opening scene of the evening, effortlessly avoiding a wrister from Nathan MacKinnon.
Playing behind a defense that had been a quiet strength through the first two games, Sorokin was unfazed and relentless as always, blocking 32 shots and producing a highlight-reel save with his left pad to deny John Ludvig’s second-period chance.
That is, by far, the most significant development for the Islanders’ chances of competing this season compared to everything that has occurred over the first nine quarters of play.
But this was not a night the Islanders really needed their goalkeeper to save them.
With the exception of the opening five minutes or so, when Colorado jumped out to a 6-1 shot advantage, the Islanders were superior to the home team.
After the first two games were characterized by fits and starts, all four lines seemed to be at ease with one another. At least until a late assault with the Islanders up three goals, Sorokin had it easy as the Islanders played solid 200-foot hockey,
Unusually for him, Brock Nelson had not scored at all going into the game. But in the second period, he scored twice in the space of three minutes. First, he mugged Cale Makar to finish a one-on-zero chance for a shorthanded goal.
Before the third period began, the score was 4-1, and unlike in the first game against Utah, there was no impending meltdown. However, one did threaten with a goal by Casey Mittelstadt 39 seconds into the third, which came just after a Colorado power play expired.
But all fears were dashed when Anthony Duclair finished around Georgiev to make it 5-2 after taking Alexander Romanov’s feed to the crease. Late on, Mat Barzal scored an empty-net goal.
The first several minutes of this one were the only truly dangerous parts. At 1:01 of the evening, Calum Ritchie snuck by Oliver Wahlstrom for a tap-in goal that put the Islanders in danger of going into an unstoppable downward spiral.
However, this is still an experienced squad playing against a goalie, Georgiev, who had many unanswered questions going into the game.
Anders Lee tied the score in just 5:33 by putting in a rebound of his own at the right post. Kyle Palmieri gave New York the lead with less than ninety-nine seconds remaining in the first period when Georgiev’s stick hit on the rush resulted in the puck rolling back onto Palmieri’s stick.
