The Islanders have strong goaltending between Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin, which comes in handy for the playoffs; however, the Islanders can only pick one goaltender to start each game, so they must choose wisely.

Ever since the Islanders hired their new coach Barry Trotz in 2018, he has preferred to start the “hot hand.” This means that the goaltender playing best at that moment will receive the start, regardless of their performance over the season’s entirety. We first saw it with Robin Lehner and Thomas Greiss in 2018-19. The duo split time in the crease and won the William M. Jennings trophy together. Trotz continued the strategy with Greiss and Semyon Varlamov in 2020, and Ilya Sorokin and Varlamov in 2021.

Despite a few rough games by both, the Islanders’ goaltending was very good this season. Semyon Varlamov, for the most part, played the starter roll. He started 36 games while Sorokin started 22 as a rookie. However, Varlamov was injured in the last game of the season, causing Ilya Sorokin to fill in for the third period and overtime in the 3-2 loss in Boston. Deemed unfit to play the postseason opener, Sorokin was between the pipes for game one against the Penguins.

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Game 1

When the Pittsburgh Penguins hosted the Islanders in Game 1 of the NHL playoffs, Ilya Sorokin started his first NHL postseason game. During the game, the Penguins took 42 shots, and Sorokin played well, stopping 39 of them. His performance forced overtime, where the Islanders win 4-3.

Game 2

Varlamov was in Pittsburgh with the team and was healthy to play in Game 2. He was shaky in game two, allowing two first-period goals on weak shots. However, Varlamov was able to turn it around, saving 43 of 45 shots. The Penguins’ defense was strong, and the Islanders came up short in the 2-1 loss.

Game 3

Following a solid start, it made sense to roll with Varlamov after playing well in game two. However, Game 3 didn’t go quite as planned. In a physical and chaotic high-scoring game, Varlamov allowed five goals on just 27 shots. This time, the offense showed up, but the defense and goaltending did not, leading to a 5-4 loss.

Game 4

With Varlamov losing two straight games, and extremely off his game for Game 3, Trotz went back Sorokin for Game 4. Down 2-1 in the series, a loss would give the Penguins a huge advantage. Sorokin played phenomenally, and almost recorded a shutout, allowing just one goal on  30 shots. The Islanders won 4-1 in a momentum-shifter that dictated the series.

Game 5

Sorokin got the start again as the Islanders made the trip to Pittsburgh tied 2-2. Bailing the Islanders out, Sorokin played another incredible game and caused a 3-2 double-overtime win. Sorokin made 48 saves on 50 shots in over four periods of gameplay and helped steal the game and give the Islanders the series lead.

Game 6

Back on Long Island, Sorokin played another sold game, saving 34 of 37 shots. The Islanders lit up the Penguins offensively, scoring five. The 5-3 win capped off a 4-2 series victory for the Islanders. Although Varlamov was expected to be the starter for most of the playoffs, you could argue Sorokin was the main reason the Islanders pulled off the upset.

Ilya Sorokin’s stat line has been incredible during the duration of the series. Across four games, Sorokin posted a 1.95 goals-against average, a .943 save percentage, and won accumulated 150 total saves. Starting Games 1, 4, 5, and 6, Sorokin went 4-0 while Varlamov was 0-2. The series victory sets up a date with the Boston Bruins, where game one in Boston will be held Saturday night.

As of now, Ilya Sorokin looks to be Barry Trotz’s go-to. His recent performance gives hope that Sorokin can be one the future of Islanders goaltending. Assuming Sorokin continues to play well, the Islanders have a good chance to beat the Boston Bruins and can go on another deep playoff run.

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others