At long last the Isles acquired a go-to backup, so good they may go to him even more.
The New York Islanders goaltending situation, long a source of pain and complexity as the club navigated the worsening health of a player signed to carry the position for 15 years, has improved by degrees.
In 2012-13, they finally had a guy who could stay healthy and at least backstop a playoff team (but not far, once there). But Evgeni Nabokov was old, declining and predictably torched by the Penguins that year. In 2014-15, the Isles finally had a legit number one goalie in Jaroslav Halak, but the expected backup Chad Johnson did not deliver, which put more burden on Halak, which leads to.