The New York Islanders will square off against the Philadelphia Flyers in a Monday night preseason tilt at UBS Arena.
The last time these two clubs met was last Thursday when the Flyers took a 2-0 decision at home. Despite the solid effort, the Isles could not find the back of the net.
This time around, the Islanders are looking to build on the momentum generated from last Friday’s 5-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. So, let’s take a closer look at some key notes for Monday night’s game against Philly.
Mitchell Leff/GettyImages
Key notes for Monday night’s preseason tilt between the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers
Tsyplakov on the second line
Isles coach Patrick Roy has stated that the club wants to get different looks for rising star Maxim Tsyplakov. After starting training camp in a bottom-six role, Tsyplakov has played his way into the top-six conversation.
So, fans could see Tsyplakov suit up on the second line with Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri. If that’s the case, this audition could potentially cement Tysplakov’s role in the top six to start the season.
Skarek could get another start
The battle for the backup role behind Semyon Varlamov is far from over. Thus far, Jakub Skarek and Marcus Hogberg have made a push for the role.
Hogberg played very well in last Thursday’s game against Philly, giving up one goal on 25 shots. Meanwhile, Skarek relieved Varlamov in the game against the Devils, stopping all eight shots he faced. As such, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Skarek get the start against the Flyers.
As it stands, Hogberg may have the insider track on the backup role (of course, assuming Ilya Sorokin starts the season on IR). However, Skarek is making the decision much tougher for Isles’ management. Another strong showing could make the decision even harder for the club.
Fasching out for now
Hudson Fasching has been listed as injured with a lower-body injury. Fasching has seen limited ice time this preseason. So, the injury is certainly a setback for the young forward.
On the whole, Fasching looks to make the team as the 13th or 14th forward, but it remains to be seen if this injury could risk him making the team to start the season.
No word on Sorokin
Word is that Sorokin has been skating on his own and taking part in some drills. However, there is no word on his progress or when he might hit the ice for practice. Thus, it makes sense to assume that Sorokin will start the season most likely on LTIR.
If that’s the case, the New York Islanders could get some flexibility thanks to the cap relief that comes from Sorokin’s salary coming off the books as long as he’s on LTIR.
Hopefully, Sorokin will be back to full health sooner rather than later. But the team’s position has been, and rightfully so, not to rush Sorokin back. Varlamov is more than capable of handling the starting job. So, there’s no need to panic.
