How Good Has Marcus Hogberg Been? Marcus Hogberg is doing what no New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] third-string goalie has done before. He's provided strong, consistent play in the absence of the Islanders' goaltending tandem. After Hogberg found out on Friday that Ilya Sorokin would be unlikely to play on Saturday night due to illness, Hogberg came ready. The 29-year-old turned aside 21 of 22 shots that came his way to help shut the door for a 2-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club. Hogberg wasn't overly busy throughout the night but repeatedly came up in critical moments. The third-period horn buzzer meant Hogberg had his first NHL win since Apr. 28, 2021, a sound that also gave the Islanders their third straight win. "It means a lot. It's great to get a win here," Hogberg said on the MSGSN postgame show. "We had a really good road trip here with the two points in Vegas and two points here tonight. I had a really good time today." Hogberg has stopped 76 of 80 in four appearances this season, which is good for a .950 SV%. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMDY1OTk0NzgzMzM1OTcx/usatsi_25171670.jpg] "I'm also happy for Marcus. He's played two very good games for us and gave us a chance in the second with a lot of good saves. They were right in the paint a lot, and he saved a nice one. But I thought that he played really well for us." Over the last few years, when either Sorokin or Semyon Varlamov -- mostly Varlamov -- has gone down with injuries, the Islanders didn't show much faith in their third-string goaltenders. Cory Schneider only made one start a few years ago, while Ken Appleby came into relief once last year, with Sorokin carrying 99 percent of the workload. Sorokin did the same, making 12 straight starts, until Roy went to Hogberg for the second of a back-to-back on Dec. 29 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. But, going forward, Hogberg has shown that he gives the team a chance to win, and there's no need to burn Sorokin out. It's become clear why the Islanders brought Hogberg back to the NHL after four seasons in Sweden. Per Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, Varlamov, who hasn't played since Nov. 30, should be back on the ice with teammates this week.
