5 Takeaways: Sorokin Shines as Isles Beat Flyers 2-1 in OT

Buoyed by a superb 36-save performance from Ilya Sorokin, the New York Islanders pulled out a 2-1 OT win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday night.
Sorokin was the Islanders best player from start to finish, stopping a season-high 36 shots, and keeping the Islanders in the game long enough for Oliver Wahlstrom to tie it in the third period, and for Anthony Beauvillier to win it at 3:41 of overtime.
"When you run into that, you need someone to rise and Ilya did that for us," Head Coach Barry Trotz said. "He made some real key saves at key moments. We were able to grind our way back into an even game. Finally, we beat them in overtime."

Oskar Lindblom scored for the Flyers, while Brian Elliott stopped 17-of-19 shots for Philadelphia.
With the win the Islanders win their mini three-game set against the Flyers (2-1-0) and pick up their second-straight win overall.
Here are five takeaways from an OT win in Philly.

SUPERB SOROKIN STEALS WIN:

Monday's win would not have been possible without the services of Ilya Sorokin, who kept the Islanders in the game early and often, as he stared down a season-high 37 shots in the win. Sorokin was a bit of an unexpected starter, as Monday marked the first time he'd made consecutive starts, but it was a prudent move by the Islanders coaching staff.
"Larceny," said Head Coach Barry Trotz when describing how Sorokin stole the game for the Islanders.
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The rookie had to be good early, as the Flyers outshot the Islanders 8-0 in the opening seven minutes, including partial breakaway from Nolan Patrick.
Sorokin came up big again at the end of the first, staying with Travis Konecny on the forward's shot and rebound attempt by the bottom of the right circle.
The Flyers didn't let up in the second or third, peppering Sorokin with 14 shots in the second period and 11 in the third. The only puck to elude him was an Oskar Lindblom tap-in on a cross-ice feed from Claude Giroux at 12:03.
Sorokin wasn't fazed, looking solid in the back half of the contest, including a windmill glove save off a redirection on a late third period penalty kill. The Islanders said Sorokin's night galvanized the team, especially going into the third period and overtime.
"He [Ilya] was our best player," JG Pageau said. "I think that's what gave us the boost. He was able to give us only one goal to come back from in the third, and then I think we really came back in the third as a team. Starting to play with some more details, putting pucks deep, pucks on net, and we finally got rewarded."
The win was Sorokin's eighth in a row, padding the club record for consecutive rookie victories and a league record for Russian rookies. Sorokin is now 8-2-1 this season with an East Division-leading 1.97 GAA and a .922 SV%.

BEAUVILLIER WINS IT IN OT:

Sorokin got the Islanders to overtime and the team made sure to reward their netminder, holding the Flyers without a shot in the extra frame, after being outshot 37-15 in regulation.
It was a different look to overtime, as the teams wound up playing four-on-four after Nick Leddy exited the penalty box 11 seconds into the period. After dropping a pair of OT losses to Philadelphia back in January, four-on-four did the trick for the Islanders, who earned their first OT win of the season.
"That's what it is with our team, we kind of find ways to get points, do the right things, and get rewarded," Beauvillier said. "I think we have lots of character, we've said it a lot - lots of character in this room. Once again tonight, came back from behind and got a big two points. I think everyone is kind of happy with it."
Beauvillier capped off the OT frame for the Islanders, scooping the puck behind the Flyers net, and instinctively looking for a wraparound with Elliott out of position. His instincts proved right, as he was able to ricochet the puck off of Brian Elliott's skate and in. Beauvillier's goal was his second in as many games.
After losing their first four games after regulation, the Islanders have now won three-straight beyond 60 minutes.

WAHLSTROM GETS ISLES ON THEIR WAY:

Oliver Wahlstrom put the Islanders on the board at 4:06 of the third period, potting the eighth goal of his rookie season. During a goalmouth scramble in front of Elliott, Wahlstrom found a loose puck and deposited it into the Flyers net to tie the score 1-1.
"Goal scorers, their eyes light up and they know where their money is at. A pot of gold is around the crease when there is a lot of chaos," Trotz said of Wahlstrom's goal. "Those guys seems to get their radar on it and use those good hands to score goals."
In the process, the Islanders Wahlstrom extended his point streak to four games, with five points (3G, 2A) over that span. Wahlstrom now has four goals in his past six games. With eight goals on the season Wahlstrom is now second among NHL rookies, trailing only Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov (11).

ISLES ON HEELS FIRST HALF:

While Sorokin was the story of the night, the flip side was a sluggish two periods to start the night for the Islanders, who were on their heels for a majority of the first two periods on Monday night.
The Flyers, who turned to veteran backstop Brian Elliott in net and welcomed the return of Selke winner Sean Couturier, came out with a purpose, outshooting the Islanders 9-0 in the early going and 12-4 in the opening frame.
That included a handful of odd-man rushes and rebound opportunities, with Sorokin coming up big to preserve the scoreless draw.
The Islanders couldn't get their offense going in the second period either, generating six shots on net - minus an Oliver Wahlstrom shot off the crossbar. By the halfway point of the game, the Islanders were being outshot 16-6 and only had 10 shots through 40 minutes. Still, only down by one, the Islanders found a way in the third period.
"Nobody gave up. We all had the mindset that we were going to win this game," Wahlstrom said. "We just needed one shot to find an opportunity and we got it. I think our time - we're just a hard-nosed team. We always stay in those games and fight till the end. It's a huge two points."

FINALLY, A REST:

Monday night marked the Islanders 14th game in 24 days, including three sets of back-to-backs, a grueling pace during this shortened season.
The Islanders will get a brief reprieve, as Tuesday's game vs the Boston Bruins, which would have been the second half of a back-to-back, was officially postponed on Friday. With Thursday's game still on the schedule, the Islanders will have two days between games for the first time since Feb. 23 and 24.
"It's huge, whenever you get the opportunity to rest and recover," Beauvillier said. "At this point, everyone is kind of banged up and a little tired physically and mentally. We're going to try and make the best out of it and get back stronger."

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders are scheduled to take on the Bruins on Thursday night in Boston at 7 pm. They were supposed to play the Bruins on Tuesday night, but the game was postponed due to COVID-19 protocols.