Patrick Roy will stick with Semyon Varlamov in Islanders net vs. Lightning
Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov reaches for the puck as it sails wide during the second period of the team's NHL game against the Panthers on Thursday in Sunrise, Fla. Credit: AP/Jim Rassol
TAMPA, Fla. — Patrick Roy is shuffling his lines again, moving Brock Nelson back to center and trying Bo Horvat on wing as those two plus Mathew Barzal will all start on separate trios, the first time there’s not some combination of the Islanders’ three top scoring forwards together this season.
But Roy’s strongest coaching move for Saturday night’s crucial match against the Lightning at Amalie Arena is sticking with Semyon Varlamov in net rather than the conventional strategy of going back to No. 1 netminder Ilya Sorokin.
Varlamov’s 27-save performance was a decisive factor as the Islanders (31-26-15) opened this three-game road trip with a must-win 3-2 decision over the playoff-bound Panthers on Thursday night. And Roy, the Hall of Fame goalie, is rightfully willing to ride the hot hand, saying Varlamov earned another start.
“Yes,” Roy said after a brisk practice at the Lightning’s arena. “I looked at him today in the practice and he looks really sharp. They both really work well together, Varly and Ilya. I think sometimes it’s good to have a bit of a break and find a way to get your confidence back in the practice. I thought Ilya had a really good practice today so I’m confident that when he’s back in net, he’ll play a good game. But Varly played really well and I think he deserves that start [Saturday].”
Sorokin, who finished second in the Vezina Trophy balloting last season, is 22-19-11 with a 3.08 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. Varlamov is 9-7-4 with a 2.82 GAA and .911 save percentage.
But Varlamov is 3-0-1 in his last four starts — albeit over a 10-game stretch. Sorokin has allowed 19 goals over his last five starts and his last win came on March 7.
Roy started Sorokin in 19 of his first 26 games as Islanders coach, including the first five matches of the season-high six-game winning streak from Feb. 26-March 10.
“I felt good during the game,” Varlamov said of Thursday’s win. “Before [Thursday] night, I played four days before that so I didn’t really have to adjust anything. It wasn’t a long break between games, which is a good thing. I felt good from the start of the game. I just tried to stay in the present without any extra thinking.”
Varlamov was particularly strong in his positioning against the Panthers, squaring to the puck and absorbing the shots rather than giving up rebounds.
He’ll have to do that again — and more — against the streaking Lightning (40-25-7), who are 8-1-1 in March while averaging 4.2 goals per game.
As for the new lines, Barzal will remain in between Anders Lee and Hudson Fasching and rookie Kyle MacLean will still center Matt Martin and Cal Clutterbuck.
But Nelson moves back to the middle with Kyle Palmieri and converted center Casey Cizikas while Horvat will skate on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s right wing along with Pierre Engvall.
“We just continue to try things,” Roy said. “It gives us four very good lines. Balanced. I like that.”
Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.
