They have their brooms ready to go in Raleigh, North Carolina, as the Hurricanes eye a series sweep over the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon. Even a thunderous crowd in the UBS Arena might not be strong enough to stop this gloomy fate. The Grim Reaper is in Belmont Park, but Isles head coach Patrick Roy is not going quietly.
The all-time great goaltender continues to tinker with his lineup ahead of a must-win Game 4 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, specifically where the net is concerned. After turning to Ilya Sorokin in Thursday's 3-2 loss, Roy is once again starting Semyon Varlamov at goalie, per Josh Lavallee of theScore.com (originally reported by Newsday's Andrew Gross).
Sorokin struggled in Game 3 and was pulled in the second period after surrendering three goals. Varlamov shut down the Hurricanes the rest of the way, giving the Islanders a fighting chance down the stretch. Unfortunately, there were no questions about their opponents' goaltender, Frederik Andersen, who made a victory-clinching glove save late in the final frame.
Roy is hoping the spark that ignited his squad burns a tad more brightly in the next clash with Carolina. He obviously thinks rolling with Varlamov gives New York the best chance at staying competitive for the time being. His last goalie decision failed, so the four-time Stanley Cup champion will be firmly under the microscope following this move.
Considering the overwhelming odds the Islanders are facing in this first-round series, starting Varlamov could admittedly have negative consequences going into the 2024-25 season.
How will Ilya Sorokin respond to being put back on the bench?
The fiercely competitive Patrick Roy knows what it takes to win when the pressure is at its highest, so he is going to exhaust all options heading into an elimination game. And justifiably so. But by going back to Semyon Varlamov, it is possible the three-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner breaks Ilya Sorokin's confidence in the long term.
Although hockey players are lauded for their thick skin, sitting a talent– whom ownership invested eight years and $66 million in just last year– with the season on the line sends somewhat of a confusing message. Sorokin earned the sizable deal after finishing second for the Vezina Trophy in 2022-23. He has fallen off during the 2023-24 campaign, though.
The 28-year-old allowed 3.01 goals per night and recorded a .908 save percentage in 56 games for the Islanders in the regular season. Despite a far smaller sample size, Varlamov has been more reliable (.918 save percentage in 28 games). The soon-to-be 36-year-old Russian has weathered his own rocky outings in these playoffs, but he is currently working with the hot glove.
In all honesty, this choice could have no bearing on the outcome of Game 4 or the series. The Hurricanes continue to find ways to win, even though the teams look evenly matched. Neither goalie might be able to propel the Isles to a miraculous run.
It is worth mentioning, however, that Saturday happens to be Varlamov's birthday. Perhaps his spirits will be extra high by the time the puck drops at 2 p.m. ET.
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