Ilya Sorokin Happened to Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers

ballervisions 2026年1月16日

Ilya Sorokin made it to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. There’s really no other way to put it.

Don’t get me wrong—Edmonton played well in their 1-0 loss to the New York Islanders at Rogers Place. They create opportunities. They pushed the pace. They did what they had to do to win most nights. But Ilya Sorokin played better. He successfully ended Connor McDavid’s longest point streak with a shutout that was equal parts frustrating and impressive to watch.

A historic run—19 goals and 27 assists in 20 games—is over. Just like that.

And just when we’re all in the middle of a “he’s the best,” “no, he’s the best” conversation about Edmonton’s goaltending, Sorokin proved that he is, in fact, the best. Don’t get it wrong, Connor Ingram played well, and he’s part of the bigger conversation. Not just this one. All this was about Ilya Sorokin.

“What can I really say?” began Mathew Barzal. “There aren’t enough words to describe how good that guy is, day in and day out for us. His dedication to being a champion. It’s his whole life on the road. You find him in the gym when we go into a new city or, early in the morning on a day off, he’s stretching and working out, and that’s just who he is. He’s just ready to play every time.

“And you really are the best in the world.”

Oilers Should Consider Targeting Green Jackets Center

Oilers Should Consider Targeting Green Jackets Center The Oilers could use another center and have an interesting option to consider in Blue Jackets forward Charlie Coyle.

That’s not hyperbole when you look at what Sorokin did. He was facing an Oilers team that had been rolling, McDavid was saddened by history, and he completely shut it down. Zero goals. Zero chance of McDavid extending his streak. A zero margin of error from the Islanders, who won by one goal themselves.

Barzal was asked if he could tell when Sorokin was locked up, and his answer was telling.

“I think you can tell when he’s there, but there aren’t many nights when he’s not there,” Barzal said.

Oilers vs Islanders: Pregame stats 23-16-8 | 54 PTS

Good goalkeepers play well from time to time. Sorokin’s best night. That’s the reality the Oilers face—they rarely have a goaltender at night, and this wasn’t one of them.

The Oilers threw everything at him. McDavid looked. Draisaitl almost tied it. Hyman camped out in front of the net doing what he does best. Nothing works. Sorokin studied theater before it developed, setting it up well, making the save look easier than it was. It was a masterclass in goal scoring.

Ingram, to his credit, matched him for most of the game. He kept the Oilers in it, giving them a chance to steal a point or two despite being stonewalled on the other end. Barzal admitted that afterward.

2 Oilers Make Best Young Players List These two Oilers are considered the best young players in the NHL.

“Credit to their goalie, too. He played a great game. We had some good looks. I thought our line put together some good chances. I thought we could have opened it up at times, like they did; it was a battle of the goalies tonight,” Barzal said.

Battle of the goals. That was exactly it. Two netizens at the top of their game, refusing to let anything pass them by. The Islanders got one goal, the Oilers didn’t.

McDavid’s streak ends with a bang, but it’s hard to be upset when it ends like this. He was not cold. He never had a bad performance. He just ran into the keeper who was invincible. That is happening. Sometimes the other guy is better, and this was Sorokin’s night.

2 Oilers Make Best Young Players List These two Oilers are considered the best young players in the NHL.

What the Oilers are tired of is that they did everything the right way. They played solid defensively. They create quality opportunities. They did not give up hope. In most games, it wins 2-1 or 3-1. But Sorokin did not allow that. He stopped everything, and the Oilers failed to solve him.

Scoring yourself a goal is part of hockey. You shake your head, admit that the other guy was better, and move on. The Oilers will be fine. McDavid will begin another scoring cycle. The team is still in first place. One loss to a hot goalie doesn’t change any of that.

Like Father, Like Son: Leon Draisaitl’s Hockey DNA Runs Deep Leon Draisaitl is one of the best players in the NHL. He’s a perennial Hart Trophy candidate, a scoring machine, and Connor McDavid’s partner in crime in one of hockey’s most dangerous duos. But before all that, he was just a kid hanging around the rink, watching his father play.

But it’s a reminder that no matter how good your offense is, no matter how historic your best player’s run, sometimes the goalie on the other side is better. This time, Sorokin was better. He was the best goaltender on the ice, and given the chatter around Edmonton’s goal lately, that’s saying something.

Barzal called him the best in the world. After what everyone sees, it’s hard to argue.

Bookmark the Hockey News Edmonton Oilers team site so you never miss the latest news, game day coverage, and more. Add us to your Google News favorites, and never miss a story.