The New York Islanders offered clarity Monday on two key lineup questions heading into their final game before the NHL’s holiday break — and both answers point toward caution, patience, and the long view.
The most immediate decision: Ilya Sorokin will not be in net Tuesday night when the Islanders host the New Jersey Devils at UBS Arena. Instead, David Rittich will make a second straight start, while Sorokin is being shut down for the week with what the team described as a “small, nagging issue.”
The Islanders stressed this is not about alarm — it’s about opportunity.