Semyon Varlamov or Ilya Sorokin in Game 2? Islanders coach Barry Trotz plays guessing game with Bruins

BOSTON — Ilya Sorokin guarded one net during the Islanders’ optional morning skate at TD Garden on Monday while Semyon Varlamov and Cory Schneider took turns in the other net. That’s usually a good indicator of which goalie will start.

But so is which goalie leaves the ice first, and it was Varlamov who departed for the Islanders’ dressing room before the other two.

"We know [Barry Trotz] is going to play a Russian goaltender," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "So we’ve got that narrowed down."

The Bruins beat the Islanders and Sorokin, 5-2, in Saturday night’s Game 1. Whether deliberate gamesmanship or not, the Islanders were able to keep the Bruins guessing as to which goalie they would oppose in Monday night’s Game 2.

Just before game time, it was revealed that the starter would be Varlamov, who gave up a goal on the first shot he faced.

Gamesmanship and withholding as much information as possible — be it injury specifics or lineup decisions — have long been a daily part of NHL life. That’s become especially true in this age of instant online information in which every practice nuance is reported and scrutinized.

Things naturally become even more tight-lipped in the playoffs.

"I’m not that big into the gamesmanship with the referees," Trotz said. "But I’m going to protect my players when it comes to injuries. Different coaches have different varieties of that. Some of it is over the top a little bit. I listen to postgame interviews of other coaches. I try to keep it down the middle."

Trotz, an NHL coach since 1998, has earned a well-deserved reputation for being fair and earnest with the media through stops with the Predators, Capitals and Islanders. He often elaborates with honest, forthcoming answers on players’ performances, or lack thereof.

But Trotz, just like every other coach, knows his first responsibility is to give his players the best chance to succeed. And succeed safely.

"My responsibility is to protect them," Trotz said. "If I said, ‘Andrew Gross has a rib injury but he’s playing through it,’ I guarantee you I’m cross-checking you if I’m an opponent right in the ribs all the time.

"That’s the protection part. That’s why sometimes you want to give information but you can’t. Just because of the fact that there is those games that go on during a series. We try to protect them as best we can."

It’s something the players appreciate.

"When you have a coach that stands behind you, as players, you run through a brick wall for those type of people," said Travis Zajac, who has played for 11 coaches since joining the Devils in 2006. "Trotzy has been a great coach. He’s a veteran coach. You know where you stand with him. The coaching staff has done a great job of making adjustments and getting us prepared for these games."

Trotz rarely divulges his starting goalie before a game, either in the regular season or the playoffs. He is, at times, more forthcoming with which skaters will dress. For instance, Trotz said on Sunday he would use the same 18 skaters in Game 2 as he did in Game 1, though he indicated he might alter some line combinations, without giving specifics.

The thinking is: Why do the prescouting work for the opponent?

The Islanders had an optional practice on Sunday in Boston and then Monday’s optional morning skate. So there were no line combinations or defense pairings shown to the attending media.

That likely was more of an attempt to rest the players rather than to hide the Islanders’ lineup intentions.

Still, it kept the Bruins from knowing exactly what they were facing until the pregame warm-ups.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

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.