The New York Islanders are in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 50 points in 42 games. They weathered the storm in recent weeks with multiple injuries impacting the team. Bo Horvat's injury is considered not serious, however, and they are getting a key piece back. Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin is returning from injury on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.
“Ilya Sorokin will start for Isles vs. [the] Devils, per head coach Patrick Roy,” Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reported.
Sorokin was put on the shelf before the Islanders' December 23 matchup against the Devils. While they called up Marcus Hogberg from the American Hockey League, only David Rittich started while Sorokin was on the shelf. Rittich went 4-2 with a .905 save percentage since the Sorokin injury.
The Islanders are near the top of an incredibly packed Eastern Conference playoff race. Only ten points seperate first place, a tie between Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning, and last place, the Columbus Blue Jackets. With superstar defenseman Matthew Schaefer, there is an energy around the team that they have not had in recent years.
Sorokin struggled last year as the Islanders missed the playoffs. But this year, he has been one of the better goalies in the league. According to MoneyPuck, Sorokin is second in the league in Goals Saved Above Expected, just behind Logan Thompson. After taking a few weeks to get healthy, he is back for an important piece of the schedule.
Sorokin is coming back for a great opponent, as the Devils have struggled of late. Luke Hughes scored two own goals in Sunday's loss to the Carolina Hurricanes, pushing New Jersey to 2-4-1 in their last seven games. While the Devils do have high-end offensive talent, they have not been a great offensive team this year. Sorokin is coming back at the perfect time for a surging Islanders squad.
