After New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy made it known that he wasn't "100 percent pleased" with his starting netminder Ilya Sorokin (22-17-11, 3.03 GAA, .908 SV%) on Tuesday morning, the 28-year-old was in between the pipes later that night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Islanders got off to a strong start, with scoring chances early in the first, but failed to capitalize despite having the momentum.
However, at the 12:48 mark of the opening frame, Seth Jarvis snuck one through the wickets of Sorokin, and that took the wind out of the Islanders' sails before eventually going down 3-0 before the end of the first.
Sorokin didn't allow a goal over the final forty minutes.
"I was very happy with the way he bounced back," Roy said postgame. "And that's what we wanted to see. And I think that's what Piero [Greco, goalie coach] talked with him about. I thought that after the third goal, he came back strong in the second and third periods. I was very pleased to see that, absolutely."
Sorokin is win-less in his five starts, owning a 3.04 GAA and a .899 SV%, allowing 15 goals on 149 shots.
Roy had a critical decision to make ahead of Thursday night's pivotal matchup against the second wild-card Detroit Red Wings, who own a three-point lead on New York with one more game played.
On one hand, he could continue to ride Sorokin, proving to the franchise netminder that their confidence in him hasn't wavered despite the struggles.
Or, he could turn to veteran Semyon Varlamov (7-7-4, 2.86 GAA, .910 SV%), who owns a 2.44 GAA and a .906 SV%, allowing five goals on 48 shots over his last two games.
Roy has decided to go back to Sorokin:
Varlamov, who inked a four-year extension this summer worth $11 million ($2.75 M AAV), has appeared in just 20 games this season due to injuries and the fact that he is a true backup now.
The grizzled veteran is not just a goalie who can keep the Islanders in games but has proven to be able to steal points, and right now, the Islanders need points.
But Sorokin is the guy, and for a goalie whose confidence isn't where it needs to be, sitting him in such a critical game may do more harm than good.
If the Islanders are going to make the playoffs, Sorokin has the potential to do what Sergei Bobrovsky did last season for the Florida Panthers, so sitting him in the biggest game of the year would be a tough pill for the Islanders to swallow.
Sorokin is 4-1-2 in eight career games against Detroit, with a 2.37 GAA and a .922 SV% with one shutout.
He's faced the Red Wings twice this season, going 1-0-1. He's allowed seven goals on 61 shots for an .885 SV%. and a 3.46 GAA.
Varlamov will play Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets and Sorokin will play Sunday against the New Jersey Devils: