Dec 4, 2025; Elmont, New York, USA; New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (30) plays the puck against the Colorado Avalanche during the third period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Ilya Sorokin’s renaissance is in full swing, as the New York Islanders’ netminder was named the NHL’s first star of the week on Monday.
The 30-year-old goalie won each of his three starts last week, stopping 97 of 101 shots (.960 save percentage). He made 30 saves in the Islanders’ 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Dec. 2 and followed it up with 35 saves on 38 shots on Thursday night to hand the Colorado Avalanche just its second regulation loss of the season.
On Saturday night down in Tampa, he blanked the Lightning 2-0 with 32 saves for his third shutout of the season. With it, he tied Chico Resch for the career franchise record with 25 shutouts.
After a difficult start to the 2025-26 season, which followed two previous inconsistent campaigns, Sorokin is beginning to look like the backstop who finished second in the Vezina Trophy voting three years ago. Over his last 13 games, he is 8-4-1 with a .936 save percentage.
Much of that uptick in play will be credited to the personnel change made by first-year general manager Mathieu Darche, who fired goaltending coach Piero Greco for Sergei Naumovs, the goalie coach for the team’s AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, who had previous experience working with Sorokin during their time together in Russia with CSKA Moscow.
For more on Ilya Sorokin and the Islanders, visit AMNY.com