After being unavailable for the team’s game one victory, Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov is available for game two on Tuesday night, though head coach Barry Trotz would not reveal who would be in net when New York goes for a 2-0 series lead.
“Yes, he is available for tonight,” Trotz said on Tuesday. “And yes, I will have a Russian goalie in net.”
Those comments of course don’t guarantee Varlamov will get the start, as Russian goalie Ilya Sorokin was between the pipes in game one, and got the win thanks to a Kyle Palmieri goal in overtime.
Sorokin stopped 39 of 42 shots in the Islanders 4-3 victory over the Penguins, filling in for Varlamov after he had to leave the team’s regular season finale with a lower-body injury. He participated in a team skate on Monday after missing Sunday’s playoff opener, one which coaches said he initially would be ready for. But Trotz elected to go with the rookie Sorokin in game one.
On the other side, Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin is a game-time decision for game two.
The Islanders and Penguins drop the puck at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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