As the Islanders continue their 2021 season, a lot of their success has been due to the goaltenders. While the Islanders have been known as a defense-based team since Barry Trotz became the Islanders’ head coach, the goalies has also been a position of strength. This time around, Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov have been rock-solid between the pipes for New York, and they both make up one of the best goalie tandems in hockey. However, even though both goalies have been great for the Islanders, there is a case for a starting goalie controversy.

While Varlamov has played at a very high level, Sorokin has been white hot over the past few weeks. Even with the growing pains of a young goaltender, he has shown flashes of dominance and that he can be the starter in the not-so-distant future. With Sorokin seeing his playing time increase noticeably, who should be the Islanders’ starting goalie moving forward?

Semyon Varlamov:

The case for Varlamov is a very simple one: he has been one of the best goaltenders in hockey. He has carried the load for most of the season with 23 starts to is credit so far, and rightfully so. He boasts a 14-6-3 record in his starts and a 2.19 goals against average (GAA) and .922 save percentage to his credit so far. His GAA sits sixth among qualifying goaltenders, and his save percentage sits 11th in the league. While Andrei Vasilevskiy may likely win the Vezina Trophy with his play in Tampa, Varlamov will more than likely get serious, top-10 consideration with his efforts so far this season.

However, the one downside to Varlamov as the Islanders’ starting goalie is his age. Varlamov is 32 years old. While it may not seem that old in hockey terms, it is very much possible that using him too often can burn him out, and the Islanders paid the price for it earlier this year. After starting all but one game in the month of February, he struggled in his final game of the month against the Pittsburgh Penguins, letting up some stoppable goals in a 4-3 overtime loss. However, from there Sorokin took on less of a load with Sorokin stepping up, so it may be best for him if he wasn’t starting almost every night.

Ilya Sorokin:

After the first 12 games of his NHL career, Sorokin has seemingly settled into a greater role. He struggled in first NHL game, although most of it was due to the fact he was in on less than 30 minutes notice, but the signs have been mostly positive from there. After a few rough losses to his credit, he embarked on an eight game winning streak, starting with a 2-0 shutout win over the Sabres for his first NHL win and shutout. From there, he played quality hockey and had several show-stopping performances, including a 29-save effort against New Jersey Devils and 36-save win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Factoring in that winning streak, Sorokin has seen his numbers soar to an 8-3-1 record, 2.24 GAA, and .911 save percentage as he begins to find his game.

However, even with these great performances, the one question mark that remains is his adjusting to the NHL game. While he has gotten noticeably better, there are times where he can let up a soft goal or let up two quick ones with less confidence in the moment, and his last start against Pittsburgh was proof of that. Even though the Islanders in front of him were abysmal, he still let up four goals on nine shots, and that can’t happen consistently at the NHL level. Even with a bad game, Sorokin continues to develop in a positive way. However, if the Islanders want to help him get better, he may not be ready for the full time role just yet.

The Final Verdict:

Even with a goalie controversy, this may be a good problem to have. Having capable goalies that you can turn to at any point is pivotal for a team to succeed. However, at the end of the day, the number one role should go to Semyon Varlamov. Considering his play, he should still get the majority of the games, but not at the level of February when he slowed to finish the month. With this in mind, Sorokin can still get a decent amount of playing time, but a 60-40 split with Varlamov on top could be the way to go. It allows Varlamov to get some rest at times, and Sorokin can find some time to adjust and further learn the NHL game.

As a result, the starting goalie role is Varlamov’s to lose, but Sorokin can still be useful as a second starting-caliber goaltender for the Islanders.

Matthew Page

I am a first year student at Hofstra University and an avid Islanders fan. I have been writing for Drive4Five since March 2020. My family has been season ticket holders for the team since 2016, and hockey is my favorite sport. As I expand my knowledge in the field of Journalism, I am writing to express my love for the Islanders and the NHL.