Typically, the New York Islanders are reliant on their goalie, Ilya Sorokin, en route to close victories on a nightly basis.
But on Tuesday night, the Islanders gave their Vezina Trophy finalist a much-deserved rest in goal, defeating the Arizona Coyotes 1-0 at UBS Arena while allowing just 14 shots on goal.
The shutout is the 17th of Sorokin’s career, which elevates him to third-place all-time in Islanders’ history, surpassing Rick DiPietro.
Arizona’s 14 shots in the game are the fewest Sorokin has faced during a start in his NHL career.
The Coyotes had an opportunity to jump on the Islanders early after Hudson Fasching was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking but generated just one shot on goal in the four minutes against a weakened New York penalty kill.
The Islanders played without defenseman Scott Mayfield on Tuesday, who is currently day-to-day with a lower-body injury. In his place, the Islanders started Samuel Bolduc and went 3-3 on the penalty kill in his absence.
Overall, it was a promising night for the Islanders on special teams as they got their first goal of the year on the power play midway through the second period.
Off a faceoff, Mathew Barzal threw a changeup of a one-timer that fooled Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka for his first goal of the season, with assists from Noah Dobson and Kyle Palmieri.
The Islanders nearly doubled their lead later on in the period when Barzal fired a cross-ice saucer pass that landed right on the tape of a charging Simon Holmstrom on the doorstep of the goal, but the opportunity was thwarted by the glove of an out-stretched Vejmelka.
Vejmelka stopped 30 of 31 shots in goal for Arizona.
The victory over Arizona gives the Islanders their first pair of back-to-back wins to start a season since starting the year 4-0 back in 2014-15.
They’ll go for a three-peat Friday night at home against the New Jersey Devils.
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