It’s possible the Islanders would be closer in the playoff race if Sorokin’s numbers were similar to December. But that’s the problem – he has no margin for error. The Russian native needs to be in elite form, or the team won’t win many games. That’s the way the team is built.
Compare the Islanders to the rival New York Rangers, who haven’t seen the best from former Vezina Trophy-winner Igor Shesterkin this season. Despite his .908 SV%, the Rangers have been in first place in the Metro for most of the campaign. Despite their flaws, the Rangers have built a better team around their goaltender.
What’s wrong with the Islanders? We’ll start with the obvious – their atrocious penalty kill. It ranks last in the NHL at 71.4 percent and is part of the reason why the team has blown several games. This season, they have taken a penalty in the third period that led to either a tying or gaming-winning goal at least 14 times, according to ABC7’s Rob Taub, who formerly wrote for NHL.com and the New York Post.
While all the blame can’t be put on Sorokin, the Islanders need more from him. In December, when they sat in second place in the Metro, his save percentage (SV%) was .912. If he maintained that number for the season, he would be ranked ninth among goaltenders in SV% who have played at least 30 games.
Instead, Sorokin followed up his December with a rough January, with a .902 SV%. February hasn’t been much better at a .908 SV%. That’s just not good enough for a goalie of his caliber.
In his first three seasons in the NHL, the 28-year-old has averaged a stellar .922 SV%. That’s why management agreed to an eight-year, $66 million contract extension, which kicks in next season; he will soon carry an $8.25 million cap hit. When you’re one of the highest-paid players at your position, you need to perform like it.
