3 Takeaways: Sorokin, Islanders Shut Out Oilers 3-0

Ilya Sorokin was dominant, with a career-high 49 saves, and the Islanders went 5-for-5 on the penalty kill to shut out the Edmonton Oilers 3-0 on Wednesday night at UBS Arena.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored shorthanded and on the power play for his first multi-goal game of the season, and Sebastian Aho also scored.

The Islanders were able to keep NHL scoring leader Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl off the scoresheet. Wednesday marked only the fourth time this season McDavid was held pointless and the third for Draisaitl.

ILYA SOROKIN SETS CAREER HIGH IN SAVES

ISLANDERS 3, OILERS 0
ISLANDERS ARTICLES
Gamecenter
Rapid Recap
Socios.com Postgame Photos
ISLANDERS-OILERS VIDEO
Full Highlights
Postgame: Lambert
Postgame: Clutterbuck
Postgame: Pageau
Postgame: Sorokin
KINGER'S CALLS
Pageau's SHG
Pageau's PPG
Aho's G
Ilya Sorokin set a career-high in saves, turning aside 49 shots. His previous career high was 44, coming in a shutout win over the Montreal Canadiens on April 15. Sorokin turned in another excellent performance against the Oilers, keeping the game scoreless through two and playing a pivotal role in shutting down the Oilers' second ranked power play. His 15 saves on the penalty kill helped the Islanders go a perfect 5-for-5 shorthanded.
"You got three kills in the third period and a team that's going to try to press with two of the best offensive players in the world, and (Sorokin) was there for every second," Cal Clutterbuck said.
Sorokin's 39 saves were the third-most for a goaltender in a shutout in Islanders history, but Sorokin said he doesn't think much about records.
"I don't think about this," Sorokin said. "Tomorrow I can feel like [crap]. It's just, tomorrow (is a) new day."
Perhaps Sorokin's best save of the night came on Zach Hyman in the first period, stretching across his crease to rob the Oilers' winger, losing his glove in the process.
Sorokin's shutout was his second of the season and the 12th of his career, which tied Jaroslav Halak for fifth in team history. Sorokin's 12th shutout came in just his 89th game with the club.

PAGEAU SCORES TWICE ON SPECIAL TEAMS

Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored the Islanders' second shorthanded goal, and first since Zach Parise scored against the Carolina Hurricanes on Oct. 28 on an empty net. Pageau's came on a shorthanded with Zach Parise early into the Oilers' first power play.
After Tyson Barrie took a penalty to put the Islanders on the power play, Pageau scored his second of the game off a deflection from Edmonton's Evan Bouchard. Pageau now has six points in his last six games.
"It's definitely fun to help the team offensively," Pageau said. "I thought we showed up tonight and we came in and we knew we had a big challenge. We played with urgency for a full 60."
Pageau's two goals came in just 2:06. Pageau is one of the Islanders' most crucial special teams players, with key roles on the first power play unit and on the penalty kill.
The Oilers' power play is ranked second in the league, converting on 31.3 percent of their opportunities entering Wednesday's game. Pageau's goal came just 20 seconds into their first power play opportunity, killing Edmonton's momentum and giving an extra boost to the Islanders on the penalty kill.

SIMON HOLMSTROM MAKES NHL DEBUT

Islanders 2019 first round pick Simon Holmstrom drew into the lineup, making his NHL debut on Wednesday against the Oilers. Holmstrom scored 43 points (12G, 31A) in 68 games with the Bridgeport Islanders last year and has five points (2G, 3A) in 15 games this season.
"It was just a very big surprise, and I was just very happy and excited to get here and to play," said Holmstrom, who was filling in for Kyle Palmieri, who was out with an upper-body injury.
On Wednesday, Holmstrom played alongside Mathew Barzal, who he skated with during a preseason game against the New York Rangers, and Oliver Wahlstrom. He played 11:11 TOI, was a +1 and had one shot attempt blocked.
"He's a young guy that wants to always do his best," Jean-Gabriel Pageau said. "He had a good stick so many times today on the ice, made some really nice passes. He was in the right spot and that's hard to do, to keep your composure and he did that. All the credit goes to him. He's a really good player that's fun to be around."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders head to Columbus to take on the Blue Jackets on Friday night. Puck drop is at 8 p.m.