Newsday · Feb 16, 2021
Ilya Sorokin expected to return to Islanders' net after lengthy timeout
Finding playing time for Ilya Sorokin was never an issue in his five KHL seasons as he was an All-Star in each one.
But the highly touted Russian prospect is just a 25-year-old NHL rookie with Semyon Varlamov clearly established as the Islanders’ No. 1 goalie. Plus, points are at even more of a premium in this shortened, 56-game season that started without any preseason games so coach Barry Trotz has little time to experiment with his lineup.
Sorokin was expected to get his fourth start on Tuesday night against the Sabres at KeyBank Center in the second game of a back-to-back series. The Islanders won, 3-1, on Monday night with Varlamov making 20 saves.