Ilya Sorokin stellar once more, Islanders beat Capitals in shootout

WASHINGTON — Trade deadline pickup Pierre Engvall scored his second aim in two video games, Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves and the New York Islanders took one other stride towards returning to the playoffs by beating the Washington Capitals 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday night time.

With their second consecutive win – and first in six shootouts this season – the Islanders strengthened their maintain on the primary Eastern Conference wild card. They’re now 5 factors up on Pittsburgh and 6 forward of Florida with 5 video games left to play within the common season.

Sorokin once more was essential for New York, stopping two of three shooters within the shootout after some key saves earlier than that. The All-Star goaltender improved to 8-1-1 in his final 10 video games, a stretch through which he has stopped 263 of 286 photographs.

Engvall scored his sixth aim since being acquired in a commerce from Toronto, whereas Bo Horvat and Kyle Palmieri scored within the tiebreaker. The Islanders have gone 11-4-2 since high heart and second-leading scorer Mathew Barzal went down with a lower-body harm.

There’s nothing new to report on Barzal’s standing, in accordance with Lane Lambert, who was again in his outdated residence enviornment for the primary time as an NHL head coach. Lambert was an assistant on Barry Trotz’s workers when the Capitals received the Stanley Cup in 2018 and succeeded him as coach of the Islanders however ascribed no particular which means to this return.

“We had some good memories, Barry and I, here and the first time back here four years ago was maybe it was like a little bit of this or that,” Lambert stated earlier within the day. “But we’ve been back here so many times that this is no different.”

The Islanders return April 10, by which era they could possibly be in place to clinch a playoff berth – their fourth in 5 years. New York reached the East remaining in 2020 and 2021 earlier than a mix of a prolonged opening highway journey and a sequence of accidents and virus absences derailed final season.

Similar trials and tribulations have affected Washington this season, doubtless ending the group’s postseason streak at eight. Playing with out Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and John Carlson for lengthy stretches, the Capitals have been sellers on the commerce deadline after a tough stretch and have misplaced 5 of six to fall out of the race.

Conor Sheary scored Washington‘s solely aim, and Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves in falling to 21-22-6 in his first season along with his new crew after backstopping Colorado to the Cup final 12 months.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night time.

Capitals: At Tampa Bay on Thursday night time.