Sorokin worth wait for Islanders, could start Game 1 against Bruins

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Ilya Sorokin celebrated with his New York Islanders teammates at Nassau Coliseum on Wednesday after they advanced to the Stanley Cup Second Round.

For Sorokin and the Islanders, it was a moment seven years in the making.
And there could be more moments to come. Sorokin may have surpassed Semyon Varlamov as the No. 1 option and could start Game 1 of the second-round series against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, NBC, SN360, TVAS).
The 25-year-old was selected by the Islanders in the third round (No. 78) of the 2014 NHL Draft but seemed to be content playing in his native Russia, where he set records in the Kontinental Hockey League. He won the Gagarin Cup with CSKA Moscow in 2019 and was named MVP of the KHL playoffs, going 16-4 with a 1.20 goals-against average, a .956 save percentage and five shutouts. His 16 shutouts are the most in KHL playoff history.
Sorokin finally agreed to come to North America this past July and is thriving in the playoffs.
With his 34 saves in a 5-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the first round on Wednesday, Sorokin became the first Islanders goalie to win each of his first four playoff games, and the 10th goalie in NHL history to do it. Boston Bruins goalie Tiny Thompson holds the record, winning his first seven in 1929-30.
"My friends sent me pictures and messages from Islanders fans," Sorokin said before this season started in January. "Now, I feel like I [owe] the fans and have to work hard for them to deserve this excitement.
"It's the best league in the world. All guys have dreams of playing in the NHL."

The Bruins, the third seed in the MassMutual East Division, present another huge challenge for Sorokin after they scored 16 goals in five games against the second-seeded Washington Capitals in the first round.
But after a 48-save performance in a 3-2 double overtime win against the top-seeded Penguins on Monday allowed the Islanders, the fourth seed, to wrap up the series at home two nights later, Sorokin's teammates said they have full confidence in the rookie should coach Barry Trotz continue to ride the hot hand.
Sorokin allowed nine goals on 159 shots against Pittsburgh.
"His poise and his athleticism to get across to make big saves, how quick he does it, is impressive," forward Jordan Eberle said. "It can't be easy coming over from Russia with the bigger rink, the angles are a lot different. But he seems to have settled in and he's just playing unbelievable."
Trotz said it didn't take long to see why there was so much hype surrounding Sorokin, who went 13-6-3 with a 2.17 GAA, a .918 save percentage and three shutouts in 22 games (21 starts) in the regular season as the backup to Varlamov.
"I will say this about Ilya, he is very calm," Trotz said. "Everybody loves him. He's one of those guys that is extremely low maintenance. I do know this: He tends to his own game. He tends to how we play, but he doesn't watch a lot of other games around the League.
"I think he's a very intelligent young man. He's got a smile on his face a lot, so you know that he's got a good sense of humor with the guys. But he's really relaxed. I think he's very confident in what he is as a goaltender and also as a person. He's a really low-maintenance guy."

How long Sorokin can hold on to the starter's job will depend on his play. Trotz repeatedly praised both of his goalies during the course of the first round, even after Varlamov gave up early goals in Games 2 and 3 and lost each start.
Varlamov went 19-11-4 with a 2.04 GAA and a .929 save percentage in 36 regular-season games (35 starts) and tied Colorado Avalanche goalie Philipp Grubauer for the NHL lead with seven shutouts.
Sorokin went 0-1-1 in two games (one start) against the Bruins during the regular season; Varlamov was 5-1-0.
"He's had a couple of good games here," Trotz said. "He's had a good season for us, but you can hold on a little bit on [all the praise] because you have to do it over time and that'll be the test."
Thus far, Sorokin has passed with flying colors. The bond he first created with his new teammates last July when he joined them in Toronto, the hub city for the Eastern Conference for the first two rounds of the 2020 playoffs, was the beginning of what Islanders hope will be a long partnership.
"He's an unreal guy," center Casey Cizikas said. "To see him grow over the course of the season, become more comfortable, he's got a personality to him. He's funny in the locker room and guys love him."
They'll love him even more if he can continue this ride that took seven years to begin. So far, it seems to have been worth the wait.
"Every playoff game, you should have a high level of concentration, high level of focus and be ready 100 percent," Sorokin said. " … I just enjoy game and enjoy the moment."