Goalie Semyon Varlamov remained absent from practice for a second straight day but Islanders coach Barry Trotz expects that streak to be broken on Friday.
"He will skate tomorrow," Trotz said after Thursday’s session at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow.
The Islanders open their first-round playoff series against the Penguins on Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Varlamov, the presumed Game 1 starter if healthy, continues to deal with an unspecified strain that knocked him out of Monday’s season finale in Boston after two periods.
Varlamov, who went 11-7-0 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .