Sorokin allowed five goals on 35 shots in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Sharks.
After holding San Jose to one goal through the first two periods, Sorokin surrendered three goals in the final frame, including a pair of Tomas Hertl tallies in the last four minutes, before William Eklund scored the game-winner with just five seconds remaining in overtime. The 28-year-old Sorokin has had a tough time behind a porous Islanders' defense this season -- he's faced 35 or more shots in 11 of his 16 starts. Overall, he's 6-4-6 with a .913 save percentage and 3.19 GAA on the campaign.
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Islanders' Mike Reilly: Goal, assist in OT loss
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Reilly tallied a goal and an assist in Tuesday's 5-4 overtime loss to San Jose.
Reilly extended New York's lead to 3-1 with a shorthanded tally in the third period before setting up Ryan Pulock on the power play later in the frame. It's the first two points of the season for Reilly, who's played four games with the Islanders since he was claimed off waivers from the Panthers on Nov. 25. The 30-year-old blueliner should continue to skate on the Islanders' third defensive pairing and second power-play unit while Adam Pelech (upper body) and Sebastian Aho (upper body) remain sidelined. Reilly recorded one assist in 10 games with the Bruins last season.
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Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Good to go
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Per Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, Barzal (illness) will return to the lineup Tuesday versus San Jose.
Barzal is projected to be back on the top line and first power-play unit after being a late scratch for Saturday's 4-3 win over Florida. He has accounted for seven goals, 23 points and 72 shots on net in 22 games this season.
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Islanders' Sebastian Aho: Joins team on ice
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Aho (upper body) is skating with the team but won't be ready to face San Jose on Tuesday.
Aho will be sidelined for his fifth straight game Tuesday but appears to be nearing a return to action. The blueliner has yet to score a goal in 19 games this season while recording just 18 shots and averaging a paltry 14:11 of ice time. Given his limited minutes and lack of offensive upside, fantasy players probably shouldn't be expecting much out of the Swede even once cleared to play.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Exits ice first
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Sorokin was the first goalie to leave the ice Tuesday, Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News reports, indicating he'll be between the pipes at home versus San Jose.
Sorokin is currently 3-1-1 with a 2.72 GAA in his last five games and will look to carry that momentum forward against the lowly Sharks. While the Russian netminder continues to see the majority of the starts, Semyon Varlamov has been taking the crease about every third contest, which means Sorokin could be watching from the bench for Thursday's clash with Columbus.
Hutton was recalled from AHL Bridgeport on Monday.
Hutton was temporarily sent down by the Islanders on Sunday for cap-related reasons. He has been a healthy scratch in New York's past two games.
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Islanders' Grant Hutton: Dropped to AHL
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Hutton was reassigned to AHL Bridgeport on Sunday, per CapFriendly.
Hutton dressed in two games with the Islanders but was a healthy scratch for the last two. The 28-year-old will likely continue to shuffle between the AHL and NHL levels regularly.
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Islanders' Brock Nelson: First points in four games
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Nelson had two assists in a 4-3 win over the Panthers on Saturday.
Both were secondary assists. The first came on Anders Lee's power-play marker in the first, and his second was on Pierre Engvall's second-period wrister that put the Isles up 2-1. The helpers were Nelson's first in four games, and first since a five-game, eight-point streak that started in the middle of November. He's slightly off his career 75-point pace from last season, but he is on pace for his third straight 30-plus goal campaign. Nelson is among the league's most underrated performers.
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Islanders' Bo Horvat: Three-game, four-point streak
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Horvat delivered two assists Saturday in a 4-3 win over Florida.
Horvat is on a three-game points streak (two goals, two assists), but this was his first outing in 12 that he put up multiple points. He has 18 points, including 11 apples, in 22 games this season. However, Horvat's seven goals puts him on a modest 25-goal pace and that's a far cry from his impressive 38 tallies from last season when he split time between the Canucks and Islanders.
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Islanders' Julien Gauthier: First goal with new team
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Gauthier had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over Florida on Saturday.
He scored early in the third off a face-off win by Bo Horvat. He wired it from the top of the right circle. It was Gauthier's first goal in six games as an Islander. The 26-year-old's best season came in 2022-23 with the Rangers when he provided six goals and three assists in 40 contests. Nice nice, but don't mistake him for a fantasy play.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Stands on head in win
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Sorokin made 42 saves in a 4-3 win over the Panthers on Saturday.
Sorokin, who has been average at times this season, was in strong form a lot of the night, including the third when he stopped 17 of 18 shots. He still hasn't put together a string of consistently good performances, but he has delivered a 3-1-1 record, including a shutout, in his last five starts. Sorokin will be the key to the Islanders' playoff hopes, so his improving form is a good sign.
Islanders' Mathew Barzal: Out Saturday with illness
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Barzal will miss Saturday's game against Florida because of an illness.
Barzal has seven goals and 23 points in 22 contests this season. He's been especially effective recently, providing two goals and seven points over his last two games. With Barzal unavailable Saturday, Jean-Gabriel Pageau might serve on the top power-play unit.
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Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Tending twine Saturday
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Sorokin was the first goaltender off the ice at the morning skate and will defend the visiting crease versus Florida on Saturday, per Andrew Gross of Newsday.
Sorokin has been inconsistent this season, giving up four or more goals on eight occasions in 14 starts. He is 5-4-5 with a 3.09 GAA and .913 save percentage. The Panthers could give him some trouble, as they sit second overall with 33.7 shots per game this campaign.
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Islanders' Daylan Kuefler: Dropped to AHL
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Kuefler (undisclosed) was removed from the season-opening injured reserve and sent to AHL Bridgeport on Friday, per CapFriendly.
Kuefler was a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and will soon make his AHL debut. The 21-year-old scored 31 goals and 61 points in his final season with WHL Kamloops before signing his entry-level deal with the Islanders in May.
Islanders' Semyon Varlamov: Squeaks by in overtime win
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Varlamov kicked out 39 of 43 shots in a 5-4 overtime win over Carolina on Thursday.
Carolina outshot the Islanders in every period, including a staggering 30-7 combined over the second and third frames, so without Varlamov's efforts, this game likely would have gone differently. He has a favorable 2.49 GAA and .926 save percentage in eight contests this season, but those numbers are heavily influenced by the two shutouts he collected from Oct. 28-Nov. 2. Over his last five appearances, Varlamov has a 3.38 GAA and an .896 save percentage.
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Islanders' Noah Dobson: Gets three points Thursday
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Dobson registered three assists in a 5-4 overtime win over Carolina on Thursday.
Dobson has collected five helpers over his last two contests, propelling him to 21 points (five goals) in 22 games this season. While he's no stranger to multi-point games -- the 23-year-old had four already in 2023-24 going into Thursday's action -- this is the first three-point game of his career. At his current offensive pace, Dobson should be able to comfortably surpass his career high of 51 points, which was set in 2021-22.
