EAST MEADOW, N.Y. — Semyon Varlamov will get the crease for Game 1 of the New York Islanders’ first-round playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, head coach Patrick Roy confirmed.
Varlamov has provided the hot hand for the Islanders to take the starting job from Ilya Sorokin. He is 8-1-1 in his last 10 starts with a .930 save percentage.
Sorokin had struggled to sustain consistency throughout the 2023-24 season but has come around as of late to at least provide Roy with a difficult decision. Over his final four appearances, he went 3-0-1 with a .932 save percentage.
“It’s hard to go against Varly right now between you and I,” Roy said earlier this month. ‘He’s been playing so well.”
The puck for Game 1 drops on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
