Stefen Rosner on Morning Cuppa Hockey Talking Islanders EAST MEADOW, NY -- After taking a back seat in the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/]' season-opening 5-4 overtime loss to the Utah Hockey Club, Ilya Sorokin continues to take strides at practice. "I feel better day by day," Sorokin told The Hockey News. "I feel good." The 29-year-old underwent offseason back surgery, missing the first week of training camp, but is healthy enough to begin the season on the NHL roster. The question is, when will he make his first start? Head coach Patrick Roy shared after Friday's practice that there was no plan yet regarding when Sorokin would get his first game. The Islanders hit the road for games against the Dallas Stars (Saturday) and the Colorado Avalanche (Monday) before concluding the trip against the St.Louis Blues (Thursday). "I'm very excited," Sorokin said if he gets a chance to man the crease on the team's upcoming road trip. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjA5Njk5NTE5NjExMjgzMTEz/usatsi_23051347-3.jpg] Because of the injury, most of Sorokin's offseason work was spent watching film. One of the significant issues with Sorokin's game last season, where he posted career worsts with a 3.01 GAA and a .908 SV%, was where he was located in the crease. "I worked a lot on positioning," Sorokin said. "Everything, from small steps, positioning on traffic plays, 2-on-1s. Every moment should be better." Screened shots are the name of the game in today's NHL, another area of Sorokin's game where he wants to improve. "I need to have better positioning and play a little more aggressively," Sorokin added. The Islanders owned the worst penalty kill in the NHL last season, at 71.5 percent, with Sorokin playing a part in that, owning a penalty kill save percentage of just .819. Although the penalty kill is 0-for-2 out of the gate, Tommy Albelin's structure is expected to significantly strengthen their shorthanded unit. The goalie's job doesn't change, regardless of the situation on the ice, but Sorokin knows that he has to do a stronger job this season. "You always pay attention to players with the puck, and you should track all five players in the zone and play smart." Sorokin did not get any preseason action because of his rehab, so he will have to use practice time to get game-ready. While he seems eager to get back in between the pipes, he can learn a lot from watching Semyon Varlamov from the bench. "I'm always watching Varlamov when he's playing," Sorokin said. "I try to make note of his good moments, what he did to have success, and his good habits. Watching him is always a good opportunity for me." TOP STORIES
