Semyon Varlamov’s injury leaves Islanders thin in net ahead of road trip
The Islanders built their team around goaltending, but they are now just one play away from a disaster in nets.
Semyon Varlamov did not dress for Fridays 5-1 win against the Capitals and was declared day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
Coach Lane Lambert said it was undecided whether Varlamov would travel on the teams four-game road trip that starts in Pittsburgh on Sunday and rolls through the Southwest.
Ken Appleby was called up from AHL Bridgeport to back up Ilya Sorokin.
But realistically, Sorokin will be expected to start every game until Varlamov is back healthy.
Very confident in Appleby. Hes played well down there, Lambert said of the 28-year-old, who has an .898 save percentage in 10 AHL games this season. And so well see. Well see what happens.
The Islanders have leaned on Sorokin for extended runs while Varlamov has been injured twice before. Sorokin started nine straight games to begin the 2021-22 season including a back-to-back, compiling a .939 save percentage as the Isles started the campaign 5-2-2.
New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov did not suit up for Friday’s game. AP## see also
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Then last season, Sorokin started 12 of 13 games between Dec. 19 and Jan. 16, again including a back-to-back and again with an impressive .934 save percentage.
So, even coming off a disastrous six-goal outing against the Penguins on Wednesday that dropped his save percentage to a career-worst .909, the concern is less with Sorokins ability to handle the workload and more with what might happen if he were to suffer an injury.
Of course, that is a possibility over which the Islanders have little to no control.
But they can give Sorokin a lighter workload by allowing fewer shots than the 36 per game he had faced heading into Friday.
The win over the Caps, in which he saw fewer than 30 shots for just the third time this season, counted as a good step one there.
It’s unclear when Varlamov will be back for the Islanders. APScott Mayfield (upper body) continued to skate with the group but did not return to the lineup against the Capitals.
Lambert said he was optimistic that Mayfield would be able to travel with the team.
As for Adam Pelech (upper body) and Ryan Pulock (lower body), Lambert was unsure whether they would be on the road.
Casey Cizikas missed Fridays game with an illness, prompting Lambert to slot Matt Martin back into the lineup with Cal Clutterbuck moving to center on the fourth line.
Martin, playing for the first time since Nov. 15, skated 11:32 and recorded a shot on net.
Julien Gauthier came back into the lineup for Oliver Wahlstrom and promptly recorded his first career two-goal game, adding an assist for good measure
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