NHL News: Islanders HC Patrick Roy makes something clear to Ilya Sorokin after subbing him off vs Canucks

The New York Islanders dropped a critical game against the Vancouver Canucks, squandering an unsurpassable opportunity in the 2024-25 NHL season. As goaltender Ilya Sorokin was pulled from his crease and relieved for the night at the beginning of the third period, head coach Patrick Roy delivered a clear explanation to the 29-year-old netminder.

The Islanders failed to capitalize on their 2-1 lead midway through the second period, conceding four unanswered goals to the Canucks, in a game with great playoff implications for both sides.

Following the heartwrenching defeat at UBS Arena in Elmont, Roy and the Islanders dropped a key chance to climb to a wild card position in the NHL standings, letting it slip through their fingers. It wasn’t a good night for anybody in the Isles’ locker room, but perhaps Sorokin had it the worst.

The talented goaltender was pulled from his crease with 18:55 minutes left in the third period, after allowing four goals past him in 19 shots faced. Sorokin finished the night with a subpar .789 save percentage, but Roy insisted his decision wasn’t a dig on the goalie’s rough outing.

Ilya Sorokin #30 of the New York Islanders makes a third period save against the Vancouver Canucks at UBS Arena on March 26, 2025 in Elmont, New York.

“I didn’t change goalies because [Sorokin] had a bad game,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy stated postgame, via NHL.com. “Sometimes it’s just to change the momentum of the game, and I was hoping that that would create a spark.”

see also

NHL News: Islanders star Bo Horvat sends bold warning to Hughes, Pettersson, former Canucks teammates

Stirred the pot too early

Prior to puck drop, Islanders star Bo Horvat made a candid admission about facing his former teammates, having captained the Canucks for four seasons. However, despite the emotional buildup, he failed to deliver a strong performance afterward.

“You want to perform against your old team. It does bring extra motivation,” Islanders forward Bo Horvat said about facing the Canucks, per Sportsnet.

However, Horvat was kept the scoresheet, registering a -2 plus/minus, and losing once again to his former organization. It was Horvat’s fifth clash against Vancouver, and his record remains below the .500 mark as he is 1-3-1 when playing the Canucks.