Marcus Hogberg Shines for Islanders in Absence of Ilya Sorokin

Marcus Hogberg stepped up big for the Islanders, securing a win against Utah while Ilya Sorokin was sidelined due to illness

Marcus Hogberg Shines for Islanders in Absence of Ilya Sorokin
Marcus Hogberg Shines for Islanders in Absence of Ilya Sorokin

Salt Lake City: The Islanders faced a tough situation on Saturday, but Marcus Hogberg really came through. With Ilya Sorokin out sick, Hogberg, the third-string goalie, stepped in for just his second game this season.

They had to scramble to get Jakub Skarek from Bridgeport as a backup, and even used Utah’s emergency goalie for their morning skate. But Hogberg didn’t let the pressure get to him. He made 21 saves and led the Islanders to a 2-1 victory, marking his first NHL win in almost four years.

Hogberg’s last win was back in April 2021 with the Senators. He was thrilled after the game, especially since they were down 1-0 at one point. Coach Patrick Roy had told him the day before that he’d likely start, but it was still a tricky situation with the team aiming for a three-game winning streak.

Sorokin has been the go-to goalie since Varlamov got hurt, so Hogberg’s performance was crucial. He had some solid help from his defense, especially when Adam Pelech made a key block in the second period. Coach Roy praised Hogberg for his positioning and movement, saying he made it tough for the opposing team to score.

In other news, Alexander Romanov was a late scratch due to an upper-body injury and is now day-to-day. He left the morning skate early, looking a bit uncomfortable. The Islanders managed to keep Grant Hutton on the roster as their seventh defenseman, even though he didn’t skate that morning due to roster confusion.

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