Sorokin, Islanders blank Buffalo

In Buffalo,  Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves to lead the New York Islanders to a 3-0 win over the Sabres on Tuesday night.

“I feel good,” Sorokin said. “Not many work first period and second (12 shots). I stayed in the game and players helped me.

“When you play, play, play, play, you will feel better every day. And of course I feel better than I feel one month ago.”

Anders Lee struck for two goals in the win.

The Isles improved to 8-4-3.

“[Sorokin] was outstanding,” Isles head coach Barry Trotz said. “Unbelievable. You saw the athleticism and he made some huge saves.

“I felt the guys were really committed to getting off to a good start, I thought they were committed to blocking shots and all that, and they did a really good job in front of him. As the game went on, I felt that [the Sabres] started getting their legs and they were coming. He responded by bailing everyone else out, so it was a nice complement to the guys that they did it at the start and he did it at the end. Well done.”

Buffalo dropped to 4-5-2 with the loss.

“Everyone knows how the Islanders play,” Buffalo’s Taylor Hall said. “They play true to their identity every shift. You fall behind, it’s a tough game. That’s exactly what they want. I mean, every team wants to play with a lead, but they’re probably the best in the League at that. “It’s not our goalie’s fault, it’s just kind of the way things have gone. As we get playing more hockey here, it’s important for us to not come in after the first period down one, down two. It’s a tough hill to climb, especially in a season where teams are keeping it simple. That’s a mantra for a lot of teams with how many games we’re playing. Teams that get leads are going to keep leads, and that’s a tough way to play.”

Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored for the Isles.

“Good preparation,” Pageau said. “I think everyone’s making sure they’re ready and ready to do your role as best as you can. I think that’s why we always come out strong.”

Carter Hutton made 21 saves in the loss.

“There’s no question that we are in a league where results matter and results count,” Buffalo head coach Ralph Krueger said. “Speaking about process here and/or speaking about the good things that happened in this game just seems like energy spent at the moment for all of us. We want to know why we didn’t score, why the results aren’t happening after a lot of effort. A lot of work and energy was invested in the game today, but you come out completely empty.”