DENVER — An evening that was concerning the two goalies the Islanders have invested their hopes in led to triumph for each.
A victory for Patrick Roy in his return to Colorado.
A victory for Ilya Sorokin in his return to the crease.
And a much-needed victory for the Islanders, who averted a 3rd straight loss to open the season and can head to St. Louis at NHL .500 (1-1-1) after a 6-2 win over the Avalanche on Monday evening at Ball Area.
Not too dangerous for an evening’s work.
Sorokin, for all the fear about his bodily well being and the way the best way final season ended may need affected him mentally, seemed simply advantageous from the primary shot of the evening — a Nathan MacKinnon wrister he turned apart simply — onward.
Enjoying behind a protection that was quietly a vivid spot by means of these first two video games, Sorokin seemed unfazed and was his common unrelenting self, stopping 32 pictures and handing over a highlight-reel save on John Ludvig’s second-period probability, splaying each legs out to cease the puck along with his left pad.
Greater than anything that’s occurred by means of the primary 9 durations of this season, that’s — by some margin — an important for the Islanders’ probabilities of contending.
This was, although, not an evening when the Islanders wanted their goalie to bail them out all an excessive amount of.
Other than the primary 5 minutes or so, throughout which Colorado constructed up a 6-1 shot benefit, the Islanders had the higher of the house facet.
All 4 traces appeared comfy with one another after the primary two video games have been marked by suits and begins. The Islanders performed sound 200-foot hockey, biking the puck with ease on one finish and preserving Colorado away from the center of the ice on the opposite, making issues straightforward for Sorokin in flip — at the very least till a late onslaught with the Islanders holding a three-goal lead.
Brock Nelson, who uncharacteristically had but to attain coming into the evening, acquired on the scoresheet twice inside three minutes in the course of the second interval, first by mugging Cale Makar and ending a one-on-zero probability for a shorthanded aim, then by skating by means of Mikko Rantanen and Oliver Kylington earlier than a silky transfer previous Alexandar Georgiev.
That made it 4-1 earlier than the third interval began, and in contrast to the opener towards Utah, there was no meltdown incoming, although one did threaten with Casey Mittelstadt’s aim 39 seconds into the third, proper after a Colorado energy play expired.
Anthony Duclair, nonetheless, put an finish to any worries by taking Alexander Romanov’s feed to the crease and ending round Georgiev to make it 5-2. Mat Barzal added an empty-net aim late.
The one actual moments of peril on this one got here in these opening jiffy. Calum Ritchie acquired behind Oliver Wahlstrom for a tap-in aim 1:01 into the evening, threatening to pressure the Islanders into an unrecoverable spiral.
However that is nonetheless a veteran group and one dealing with a goalie that got here into the evening with loads of questions of his personal in Georgiev.
It took simply 5:33 for Anders Lee to tie it, poking in his personal rebound on the proper put up. With below 90 seconds left within the first interval, Kyle Palmieri gave New York the lead after Georgiev’s stick examine on the push ended up placing the puck proper again onto Palmieri’s stick.
It’s only one win — and even when this season goes off the rails, it will likely be certainly one of many.
However the first one is all the time a reduction.
This one, maybe, extra so than common.
