Anthony Duclair collected a natural hat trick Tuesday night and goalie Ilya Sorokin authored his team-record 26th career shutout for the New York Islanders, who rolled to a 9-0 win over the New Jersey Devils in Elmont, N.Y.
The win was tied for the most lopsided shutout in Islanders history, matching a mark set most recently against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 9, 1986.
Duclair, a healthy scratch the previous two games, entered Tuesday with just four goals in 39 contests this season.
The hat trick was the fourth for Duclair but his first since Dec. 14, 2019, when he was a member of the Ottawa Senators. He also had two assists to complete a five-point game.
Mathew Barzal opened the scoring for the Islanders while Casey Cizikas scored twice. Simon Holmstrom, Tony DeAngelo and Cal Ritchie also had a goal apiece.
Sorokin stopped 44 shots as he broke a tie with Chico Resch atop the Islanders’ all-time shutout list. Sorokin earned the record in his 278th appearance, four fewer than Resch.
The Islanders have won five of their last seven (5-2-0).
Jacob Markstrom recorded 15 saves for the Devils, who have lost six of eight (2-5-1).
Barzal opened the scoring just 68 seconds after the opening faceoff by beating Markstrom from the top of the left faceoff circle.
Duclair began building his hat trick fewer than three minutes later. With Barzal in the slot and Anders Lee nearing the goal line, Duclair, skating up the left side, faked a pass and fired a shot under Markstrom’s glove at 4:01.
Duclair scored from almost the same spot with 6:29 left when he took a pass from Casey Cizikas in the neutral zone, bore in on Markstrom and sent a shot over his glove.
Duclair closed out the natural hat trick from the other side of the ice 3:29 into the second. Barzal, in the left faceoff circle, sent a pass under the legs of Devils center Luke Glendening to Duclair, whose shot caromed off the far post.
Barzal collected another assist with 8:48 left in the second. His shot bounced off Markstrom, who couldn’t smother the puck before Holmstrom swooped in, extended his stick and tucked the puck into the net as he fell on to the ice.
Cizikas scored twice in the third, when he bookended goals by DeAngelo and Ritchie.
–Field Level Media
