Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored a power-play and short-handed goal, while Ilya Sorokin made a career-high 50 saves to give the Edmonton Oilers a 3-0 win over the New York Islanders (13-8-0) on Wednesday night. at UBS Arena.
Pageau became the 18th different player in Islanders history to score a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal and the first since Zack Parise last season to do so on April 12 against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It’s definitely fun to help the team offensively,” said Pageau, who entered Wednesday night with three goals in his first 20 games this season. “We showed up tonight. We knew we had a big challenge ahead of us.”
As for Sorokin, the career night resulted in his second shutout of the season and already the 12th of his young career – tied with Jaroslav Halak for fifth in franchise history.
Islanders head coach Len Lambert said of Sorokin, “It was definitely a tremendous game from him.” “He’s focused, he’s dialed in, and he’s fast — and he’s made some big saves for us.”
The Islanders were down 4:11 in the second period after a penalty by Anthony Beauvillier, a turnover led to Parise’s short-handed rush down the left wing, with Pague rushing down the middle. Paris found Pageau’s tape in front of the crease, making an easy tap-in to center.
short handed? No problem for Jean-Gabriel Pagau! pic.twitter.com/bULNVshcV2
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 24, 2022
Pageau said of Parise’s assistant, “He made a great pass.” “I just had to put it on. It’s always fun playing with him. He is helping me as a player and he makes it easy for me.”
Just 2:06 later – and after a power play by Tyson Barry dragged Cal Clutterbuck to avoid another short-handed break – Pageau got his second chance when he cut across the right goal line and passed for Anders Lee. Sent a setting pass. front. Instead, it deflected off the stick of Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard and the stick of goaltender Jack Campbell.
This capped a three-goal second period, which was capped off by defenseman Sebastián Aho’s second goal of the season as he took a pass from the back of the net by Oliver Wahlström, finding him near the left post.
it’s a 3 goal second period for #island, pic.twitter.com/CxMTRf6SbU
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) November 24, 2022
That was more than enough for Sorokin as he continues to maintain his Vezina-caliber form in the early part of the season. He was awfully busy, even against an Oilers team that had plenty of chances for five Islanders penalties – a dangerous recipe to employ when opposing the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisital.
The Islanders especially got loose in the third period, taking three penalties in the final 20 minutes of action to complement the eventual Oilers push. However, Sorokin made 14 total saves against the Edmonton power play on Wednesday night, 23 of which came in the third period.
His 50 saves were also the third most in shutouts in franchise history.
“You don’t really think about how many shots,” Sorokin said. “I saw after the game. It’s good for a goalkeeper. It keeps you in shape.
notes: Simon Holmstrom made his NHL debut for the Islanders on Wednesday — slotting in for 21-year-old winger Kyle Palmieri, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He was on the ice by 11:11 and was +1.
“I got it right after the morning skate in Bridgeport [the Islanders’ AHL affiliate],” Holmstrom said of his tornado on Wednesday. “I took a car service [to Long Island], It was a huge surprise and I was very happy and excited to be here.”
