Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin had not given up a goal to Alex Ovechkin in the first three games he played against the ...

The New York Islanders weren’t a playoff team all season. They weren’t when they got off to a slow start, as was true by American Thanksgiving, the midseason break, and the trade deadline.

At this point, taking extreme caution with Sorokin, who already has played in 59 games, is the logical thing to do, even if the Islanders’ elimination from the playoff race isn’t yet official.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin (lower body) will be unavailable for Thursday's Battle of New York against the Rangers. The Islanders lost Sorokin to a lower-body injury on Tuesday against ...