Ilya Sorokin credited with goalie goal — Islanders' first since 1979
New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin got credit for a goal in the closing seconds of a 7-4 win on Saturday afternoon. It wasn't the type of goalie goal we've come to know in recent years, but it still goes down as the first one for the Islanders since Billy Smith did it on Dec. 28, 1979.
With the Predators' net empty and the Islanders up 6-4, Sorokin made a blocker save on Tommy Novak and the puck ricocheted to Steven Stamkos, who tried a pass back to the point that eluded Brady Skjei — then traveling all the way down the ice into the empty Nashville net.
ILYA SOROKIN. When you get the save AND the goal! #LGI | @Ford pic.twitter.com/jS8Gu0YUzY
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 1, 2025
'If I shot it, maybe it's different emotions,' Sorokin told reporters at UBS Aren after the game. 'But this is just luck.'
The fact that Sorokin got a goal and his Hall of Fame coach, Patrick Roy, never did, is one thing. Roy noted after Saturday's game that scoring a goal was a career dream of his.
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'It was part of my bucket list, scoring a goal. I think I hit the post once,' Roy said. 'Once, I scored, but there was no time left. I wasn't the best goaltender out of my net. It would've been nice, but I didn't have the shot.'
Sorokin is close friends with New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who is a better puck-handler than Sorokin and has tried to score on empty nets since he got to the NHL. Sorokin, even by accident, got the last laugh.
'I knew I'd do it before Igor,' he said.
One to remember for Ilya! pic.twitter.com/7OSl4ZPOII
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 1, 2025
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