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Worse than the 4-1 loss to the Lightning on Sunday, the Islanders will be waiting with bated breath to learn goaltender Ilya Sorokin’s status.
Sorokin left the game going into the third period with what head coach Barry Trotz called an upper-body injury. He took multiple pucks off the mask during the second period, and finished his day with 18 saves on 20 shots.
After the game, Trotz said he couldn’t answer whether or not Sorokin will travel to Columbus for Tuesday’s match.
If the 26-year-old Russian does miss extended time, it would be a major blow for the Islanders. Sorokin has established himself this season as the clear No. 1 goaltender, both now and for the franchise’s foreseeable future.
“He’s been huge,” Trotz said. “He’s a guy that can steal you games. Every night you feel you match up against the other goaltender on the other side no matter who it is in the league, you’re on sorta even ground if you will.”
That was especially on display last week, when Sorokin outdueled Igor Shesterkin at Madison Square Garden to hand the Islanders a victory over their rivals.
In a year when so much has gone wrong for the Isles, though, Sorokin has been atop the short list of things that have gone right. He’s consistently kept them in games and given them a chance to win.
The Islanders are well-equipped with Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 12 of 14 shots in the third period on Sunday, as their No. 2, but if Sorokin misses extended time, either Cory Schneider or Jakub Skarek will need to step into the backup role.
“He’s so calm and confident out there,” Brock Nelson said of Sorokin. “He’s never out of a save no matter where it is or what kind of play it is. And obviously he’s put some time into learning English, committed to that, and obviously he’s a part of the group and he’s one of us.
“He’s a huge part of our team and will be moving forward.”
Defenseman Grant Hutton played Sunday as an emergency call-up from AHL Bridgeport. Trotz said Sebastian Aho was “nicked up” but will travel to Columbus ahead of Tuesday’s game.
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