Last night, the New York Islanders fell behind in their first round series three games to nothing. The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-2 in a close contest. It was the first game of the playoffs for goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who’s night finished early. He was pulled after letting in three goals on just thirteen shots. Was this the right call by Patrick Roy? Or should he have let his star goalie stay in the game.
Ilya Sorokin’s Slump
It has not been a great season for Sorokin. He put up his worst numbers in the NHL posting a 2.99 goals-against average as well as a .909 save percentage. Looking at the stats it is safe to say the goaltender has just had a down season. This may very well be why Roy started Semyon Varlamov in the first two games of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Should Patrick Roy have gone with Sorokin from the beginning? It seems a little odd to go with a backup goalie for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Especially when having a starter as talented as Sorokin. He has been a top-five goalie in the league over the past couple of seasons. Even though he had a tough year, the playoffs are a new beginning where regular season stats can be forgotten.
Last Chance for Long-Island
The New York Islanders will have to throw everything on the line as they face elimination on Saturday. More star power is needed as Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat each only have one point in the series. Game 3 seemed to be the strongest for the New York Islanders so far. An effort that was respectable after an abysmal game two where they only had twelve shots and blew a 3-0 lead.
The odds are not in their favour as they got the pleasure of taking on a stacked Carolina Hurricanes team in round one. It seems as though Ilya Sorokin may not get another chance. It was just recently reported that Semyon Varlamov will indeed start game four for the New York Islanders.
Do you think this is the right call by Patrick Roy? Or should Ilya Sorokin be starting game four?
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