ELMONT, N.Y. — Ilya Sorokin turned aside all 37 shots he faced, and rookie Victor Eklund collected his first NHL goal as the New York Islanders blanked the New Jersey Devils 6-0 at UBS Arena on Saturday.
Sorokin shuts the door in Islanders’ first win
The Islanders bounced back from their opening loss to move to 1-1-0, with Sorokin carrying the clean sheet through a busy night in his crease. Nico Daws made 26 saves for New Jersey, which also stands at 1-1-0.
- Sorokin stopped 37 shots for the shutout.
- Eklund finished with a goal and an assist in his first NHL game with a goal.
- Brayden Schenn, Casey Cizikas and Simon Holmstrom each posted a goal and an assist.
- Matthew Schaefer supplied two assists.
Second-period surge gives New York control
After a scoreless first period, the Islanders built their lead quickly in the middle frame.
Holmstrom opened the scoring at 3:32, arriving at the left post to tap home Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s pass. New York doubled the margin 1:28 later. Eklund attempted to play the puck off Daws from below the goal line, but the rebound landed in front for Schenn, who scored at 5:00.
The Islanders’ power play made it 3-0 at 12:08. Schaefer held the puck inside the blue line, worked to the high slot and sent it to Bo Horvat at the right side. Horvat hammered a sharp-angle one-timer past Daws’ glove.
Eklund gets his first, Islanders finish the rout
Eklund’s milestone goal came at 11:32 of the third period. Calum Ritchie chipped the puck forward on the rush, and Eklund converted from the low slot for a 4-0 cushion.
- At 11:32 of the third, Eklund scored his first NHL goal to put New York ahead 4-0.
- Forty-two seconds later, Palat finished a cross-ice feed from Cizikas to make it 5-0.
- Cizikas sealed the result with a short-handed breakaway goal at 18:41.
The final horn found Sorokin still perfect and the Islanders with six goals on the board, a decisive response at home after starting the season with a defeat.
