New Jersey Devils Fall To New York Islanders 9-0 As Ilya Sorokin Returns
The Devils are struggling right now. They have the worst shooting percentage in the National Hockey League, faced a massive first period deficit, and their young star Defenseman Jack Hughes put two in his own net.
The Islanders got out to a fast start tonight, and they cruised to a 9-0 win. Star Goaltender Ilya Sorokin returned in this game after being out injured for a couple of weeks. That injury was frustrating for fans of the Islanders because Sorokin was listed as day-to-day the entire time. Do you think Sorokin’s return for the Islanders will propel them to a successful road trip?
Devils-Islanders Scoring Summary
The Devils entered this game after a 3-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. Luke Hughes scored two goals in his own net in the loss. New Jersey has lost three of their last five games since facing the Islanders before the NHL’s holiday break. The Islanders, on the other hand, are coming off a highly emotional 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, where rookie Matthew Schafer scored twice. Here is a scoring summary from tonight’s game.
In the first period, Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders almost immediately to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead. The Islanders then took a penalty, killing the momentum. However, they killed that penalty. Anthony Duclair then scored twice for the Islanders, giving the Islanders a 3-0 lead. He was a healthy scratch in the past two games.
In the second period, Duclair scored again for the Islanders. That gave them a 4-0 lead over the Devils and completed the hat trick for the embattled forward. It was his first hat trick since 2019. Simon Holmstrom then scored for the Islanders; it was 5-0.
In the third period, Casey Cizkas scored to make it 6-0. Tony DeAngelo scored for the Islanders, giving them a 7-0 lead. Calum Ritchie then scored to give the Islanders an 8-0 lead. Then, Cizikas scored, and it was 9-0 Islanders.
Sorokin is Back
Sorokin started against the Devils. He was injured, and he last played against the Vancouver Canucks on December 19. Sorokin is 12-10-2 overall, but was much better in the weeks before his injury. He has a 2.55 goals against average this season with a .910 save percentage and three shutouts. He needed one more shutout to break Glen ‘Chico’ Resch’s franchise record, but got one in this game.
David Rittich played well with Sorokin out. He went 4-2-1 with a 2.30 goals against average, .911 percentage, and a shutout. Islanders Head Coach Patrick Roy said, “David has been playing so well for us, and he brings a lot of confidence. There was no hurry for Ilya to come in and feel ready when he was.”
Schafer Sick, But Plays
Matthew Schaefer was with the team at Tuesday’s optional morning skate after he missed practice on Monday morning due to an illness. The 18-year-old said he would play against the Devils. Schaefer said, “I’ll be good to play, I don’t want to miss any games. Any time you miss a day with the guys, you get FOMO (fear of missing out) a bit. You want to be back in the mix. It was good to get a little bit of rest, but it’s way better to be back here on the ice with the guys.”
Schaefer scored a pair of goals, including the overtime winner, on Saturday. He has played in every game for New York this season. He is third on the team in points, with 29 after assisting on the first goal tonight against the Devils.
Horvat Injury Update
Bo Horvat also did not join the team for practice but did skate with coaches on Monday. The 30-year-old forward did not dress for the 4-3 overtime win against the Maple Leafs on Saturday. However, he will travel with the Islanders on their upcoming seven-game road trip. He is expected to start playing games for the team at some point during the road trip.
Parting Thoughts
Before heading out on a seven-game road trip, the Islanders needed to win this game. They needed to get two points in this game. The Devils are also a division opponent, so in effect, this game was worth four points. It was helpful that the Islanders got out to a 3-0 lead. This is also a little bit of a rivalry between these two New York metropolitan area teams. The Islanders begin their road trip with a game at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
