New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has already become the franchise’s all-time leader in overtime/shootout losses after falling 4-3 in overtime to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Related: Islanders Erase Two-Goal Deficit In Third But Fall To Edmonton 4-3 In Overtime
The real story is about how many games it has taken for him to get there.
Through 202 NHL appearances, Sorokin has fallen in 33 games that have gone past regulation. That is five more than Rick DiPietro, who has the second-most extra-time losses in franchise history, with 28, in 318 games played.
Sorokin may have just five more OT/SO losses over DiPietro but has played 116 fewer contests for the Islanders.
The other current Islanders goalie, Semyon Varlamov (169 GP), is tied for third place with Jaroslav Halak (177 GP) with 19 OT/SO losses.
Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
The closest comparison in games played is Thomas Greiss, who played 193 times for the Islanders but has half the number of OT/SO losses, with 17.
Compared to the rest of the league, Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has 23 OT/SO losses through 203 starts, trailing Sorokin by 10.
This trend for Sorokin can be attributed to the team’s playing and losing many more overtime games this year and last.
In the 2023-24 season, the Islanders played 26 OT/SO games and lost 16 of them, tied for the league high.
This year, in just 16 games, they have already participated in seven and failed to win four of them, which no other team has done yet.
Sorokin’s eight-year contract that kicked in this season, coupled with the fact that the Islanders are on pace for 18 OT/SO losses, shows that he might build a team record that will never be topped.
