Sorokin, Isles blank Columbus, 6-0

In Elmont, Anders Lee hit for a hat trick and the New York Isl;Islanders downed the Columbus Blue Jackets, 6-0, on Thursday night.“I’ve been waiting for that one for a while,” Lee said. “One of the nights the puck just kind of found me. Great looks from some of the guys and just an overall really good team effort and a good way to start the weekend.”

Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves for the shutout win.

The Isles improved to 22-24-8.

“Usually when you get those saves or you get those breaks, you’re able to turn it into something successful, and we were,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “We made the most of it.”

Brock Nelson and Josh Bailey staked the Islanders to a 2-0 lead.

“It felt good,” Bailey said. “You go through stretches like this throughout the course of your career, you just stick with it. There’s only way through it; you can’t get around it, you’ve just got to keep working.”

The Blue Jackets fell to 28-26-3.

“We haven’t played that way in a long time,” Columbus’ Zach Werenski said. “We’ve been playing hard as of late. Tonight, we let it slip and kind of handed that game to them.”

Jean-Gabriel Pageau also scored for New York, his strike gave the Isles a 4-0 lead.

“I think everyone showed up,” Pageau said. “Special teams were amazing, and Sorokin in net was great.”

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“I think everybody on the ice was trying to find him,” Pageau said. “Everyone was happy for him. He’s been outstanding for us. The way he leads the team, day in, day out and the way he comes in and work every day, whatever the result is, you know you’re going to get his 110 percent. You just want him to finish it and get the trick.”

Joonas Korpisalo made 27 saves in the Jackets loss.

“We imploded,” Columbus coach Brad Larsen said. “The stuff that we gave tonight, I haven’t seen a period like that. We didn’t make them work for their goals. That’s what’s frustrating.

“You’re gifting them goals. Gosh, that second period I think they had 10 chances, and I just looked at them again, seven of them were absolute gifts is the best way I can put it, and they made us pay.”