The New York Islanders needed to have a big weekend to hold on to their playoff position. On Saturday, the Islanders were dominated by the Montreal Canadiens. This led to the game on Sunday against the Columbus Blue Jackets being a must-win.
The Islanders got the win, and in the process, Ilya Sorokin set some franchise history, according to the Islanders' post on X, formerly Twitter.
ILYA. SOROKIN.
With tonight’s shutout, Sorokin becomes the only goalie in #Isles history with 7 shutouts in two separate seasons. pic.twitter.com/OnT3wC92gt
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 23, 2026
Sorokin stopped all 26 shots he faced for his NHL-leading seventh shutout of the season. The victory also moved the Islanders back into a playoff spot, while he also became the first netminder in franchise history to have seven strikeouts in two different seasons.
What made the shutout even more special was that Sorokin was playing in back-to-back games. He was the starter on Saturday against the Canadiens, and he was horrible. Sorokin allowed six goals on 32 shots, having a .813 save percentage and taking the loss. He was also pulled mid-way through the third period by the Islanders' coach, Patrick Roy.
It was a stressful final five minutes, as the Islanders were up just 1-0. Bo Horvat scored 1:25 into the game, and that would be the only goal of the game. Sorokin spoke of the end-of-game stress to the media after the game, according to Eyes on Isles.
“The last minute was tough, and the last five minutes were tough,” Sorokin said. “But when the game was finished, it was a big breath after.”
The Islanders are 40-26-5 on the season, which gives them 85 points on the campaign. That gives them the same point total as the Blue Jackets, who are in third in the Metropolitan Division, but Columbus has played one fewer game. Meanwhile, they are just one point in front of the Detroit Red Wings for the final spot in the playoffs. The Islanders return to the ice on Tuesday night, facing the Chicago Blackhawks.
