The New York Islanders will have Ilya Sorokin in goal for their game against the St. Louis Blues, Head Coach Patrick Roy said on March 9. The announcement comes as the team prepares for the final matchup of a four-game road trip, with practice held Monday morning in St. Louis ahead of Tuesday’s contest.
Sorokin has posted a record of 23 wins, 14 losses, and two overtime losses this season. He holds a goals-against average (GAA) of 2.50, a save percentage (SV%) of .914, and has recorded six shutouts so far this year. Against the Blues specifically, Sorokin is 4-2-1 lifetime with a .926 SV% and a 2.01 GAA.
The Islanders’ practice lines included Emil Heineman skating alongside Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal on the top line, while Ondrej Palat joined Brayden Schenn and Cal Ritchie on the second line. Other forward combinations featured Anders Lee with JG Pageau and Simon Holmstrom, as well as Anthony Duclair with Casey Cizikas and Marc Gatcomb. Kyle MacLean and Max Shabanov also participated in practice.
On defense, pairings consisted of Matthew Schaefer with Ryan Pulock, Adam Pelech with Tony DeAngelo, Carson Soucy with Scott Mayfield, and Adam Boqvist rotating in. David Rittich was listed as the backup goaltender behind Sorokin.
As the Islanders look to close out their road trip on a strong note against St. Louis, all eyes will be on Sorokin to see if he can continue his solid play both this season and historically versus the Blues.
