IIya Sorokin's father gets to see his son play on first trip to the U.S.
Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders looks on against the Red Wings at UBS Arena on Saturday. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Ilya Sorokin’s father, Igor, attended his first NHL game on Saturday afternoon as the Islanders beat the Red Wings, 4-1, at UBS Arena.
Actually, it was the first time Igor Sorokin had seen his son play live in 10 years.
“He not watch live games, he was very nervous,” Ilya Sorokin said. “I think he’s excited.”
The goalie is from Mezhdurechensk, Russia, about 2,400 miles from Moscow, where he spent five seasons as a KHL star before joining the Islanders in 2020.
“He didn’t watch,” Ilya Sorokin said of his KHL career. “He last watched my game when I was 17. When I play, maybe watch one, two times. I say, ‘What are you doing, watching movies?’ ”
The trip is Igor Sorokin’s first to the U.S. He attended Islanders practice Friday.
Passing Nystrom
Anders Lee’s two goals gave the captain 236 in his career, moving him past four-time Stanley Cup winner Bobby Nystrom (235) for ninth place on the Islanders’ all-time list. Lee needs two goals to match Bob Bourne, also a four-time Cup winner, for eighth place.
“That’s pretty special,” Lee said. “[Nystrom] is a legend around here and well deserved, the career he had, the leader he was and what he’s done in the community. That’s pretty cool.”
Isles files
The Islanders won 28 of 41 faceoffs (68%) and C Bo Horvat won 12 of 15 (80%) . . . The Islanders have won six straight home games against the Red Wings . . . LW Zach Parise’s third-period goal gave him 16 this season, tying Bill Guerin’s franchise record for single-season goals by a player 38 or older . . . RW Pierre Engvall logged 17:26 with two shots and five attempts in his Islanders debut . . . LW Ross Johnston and D Parker Wotherspoon were healthy scratches.
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
