With 11 games to go and their backs against the wall, the New York Islanders are going with Semyon Varlamov against the elite Florida Panthers.
With 11 games to go and their backs against the wall, the New York Islanders are going with Semyon Varlamov against the elite Florida Panthers.
EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders have their backs against the wall with 11 games to play, currently sitting six points out of a wild-card spot.
Wins are no longer a want but a monumental need, and their next two opponents, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, offer no relief.
Given how critical these two points are, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy has decided to use Semyon Varlamov (7-4-2, 2.86 GAA, .910 SV%) instead of Ilya Sorokin (19-11-2, 3.08 GAA, .906 SV%) between the pipes on Thursday.
Varlamov is coming off a strong showing against the Winnipeg Jets, a 6-3 win. He turned aside 32 of 35 shots and has looked rather sharp over his last few outings.
Sorokin, who has struggled to be the bail-out specialist he was a season ago, has lost his last seven starts.
"We haven't made any decision yet for Saturday. We're in a position where we are going to take it one game at a time," Roy said. "We know what six wins in a row does, but, unfortunately, we have to go one game at a time."
Varlamov hasn't played much hockey this season, getting into 21 games after signing a four-year deal worth $11 million.
It was completely understood by the 35-year-old veteran that a split between the pipes was no longer a thing and that, for the first time in his career, he signed to be backup.
But, despite the "new" role, he's being tasked with, at this point, the biggest game of the season.
That's ultimately why the Islanders brought Varlamov back: because of the trust the organization has in him, not just to keep his team in games but to win them.
Varlamov is 2-on-1 in his last three games, with a 2.66 GAA and a .909 SV%.