Though Marcus Hogberg has been solid, coach Patrick Roy said Sorokin will be in net for the important game against Columbus at UBS.
This was the sort of effort which, if the Islanders could replicate it consistently, makes them look like a playoff contender.
The Isles are 8-5-7 in games decided by a single goal including 4-5 in regulation. They are 2-6 in games decided in overtime and are 2-1 in shootouts. The Isles are 3-8 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.
Horvat's two goals in a dominating three-goal second period for the Islanders leave Blue Jackets scuffling with back-to-back defeats.
Columbus Blue Jackets, Islanders
Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves. Kent Johnson scored for Columbus and Elvis Merzlikins had 22 saves, but the Blue Jackets ended a seven-game point streak (6-0-1). The Islanders scored three goals in a span of 5:04 in the second period to take the 3-1 lead and ...
Bo Horvat scored twice in New York's three-goal second period, and the Islanders beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. Simon Holmstrom also scored and Mathew Barzal had two assists as the Islanders won their second straight and fifth in seven games.
LAS VEGAS -- Cole Sillinger scored 52 seconds into overtime to give the Columbus Blue Jackets a 2-1 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday. Adam Fantilli scored in his 100th career NHL game and Elvis Merzlikins made 25 saves for the Blue Jackets (25-19-7), who have won two in a row.
Final Thoughts: The Islanders last faced the Blue Jackets on Oct. 30, when they were shut out 2-0. That was the game in which Mathew Barzal suffered his long-term upper-body injury. The gap between the Islanders and Columbus is eight points right now.
The Blue Jackets never quite got going in a lackluster 3-1 loss to the Islanders to end their seven-game point streak.
Connor Bedard and Ilya Mikheyev ... Oilers. BLUE JACKETS 2, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1, OT LAS VEGAS (AP) — Cole Sillinger, who missed the previous three games because of an upper-body injury, scored on a rebound 52 seconds into overtime to give Columbus a victory ...
Marc-Andre Fleury, playing his final game in his home province, recorded his 76th career shutout as the visiting Minnesota Wild beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 on Thursday.