trim_14028474-D033-4FF6-B654-3A09671C9AFC ELMONT, NY -- When Marcus Hogberg entered the New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders/] crease for the third period with the scoreboard reading 4-0, it must have been a bit nerve-wracking. Not only had Hogberg just allowed six goals on 30 shots in a 6-1 loss to the Hartford Wolfpack the night prior, but it had also been 1,317 since he played in an NHL game. His last NHL appearance (not including preseason) was on Apr. 28, 2021, as a member of the Ottawa Senators in a 6-3 win against Bo Horvat and the Vancouver Canucks. Nervous would not have been the word to describe Hogberg. The word(s) you are looking for is "brick wall." Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMjA2MDU5OTIwOTkxOTMz/usatsi_24920379.jpg] The 30-year-old stopped all 12 shots he faced in relief, including some big stops that seemed destined for the back of the net. He was tracking the puck well and cutting off angles, and although the Islanders failed to come back in this game, his top-notch performance throughout the period gave life to a lifeless team. The Islanders signed Hogberg back in May because the team desperately needed goaltending depth. When Semyon Varlamov would go down for a week or two, which has happened in each of the last two seasons, the organization would ride Sorokin because there wasn't a trustworthy option on the roster. Two years ago, the Islanders called up Cory Schneider to serve as Sorokin's backup, getting just one game. Then, last season, Ken Appleby got a period in Minnesota on the road trip that ended with Lane Lambert's firing. Thursday's performance by Hogberg was a rather small sample size, but if he can play 75 percent as well as he did, the Islanders don't have to rush Varlamov back. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExMjA2MjQ3NTU3Mzc1Njc3/usatsi_24919866.jpg] There is a back-to-back coming up this weekend, a 5 PM start against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday before dashing to Ottawa to face the Senators at 5 PM on Sunday. When Varlamov missed these back-to-back situations, it was Sorokin's duty to get both. But, now, if Hogberg is needed, there's no doubt he'll get one of the games. Will he get the start against his former team on Sunday, or will he get to face the team that knocked the Islanders out of the playoffs in back-to-back postseasons? Hogberg signed a two-year deal worth $775,000 annually on May 7.
