Patrick Roy makes a shocking decision ahead of game 1 vs the Canes

We have our first big surprise of the NHL playoffs, and it's coming from Patrick Roy and the New York Islanders.

I'm not telling you anything new when I say that Roy has never done things in a conventional and simple way, and here is another example.

Patrick Roy causes a surprise and will clearly leave his star goalie Ilya Sorokin on the bench, to start the playoffs!

You read that right.


At today's Islanders practice, it's Semyon Varlamov, not Sorokin, who is in front of the starting goalie's net and he is the first goalie to leave the ice.

Expect him to start game #1! Wow!


We salute Patrick's boldness! He remains loyal to his goalie he had with the Colorado Avalanche.

Varlamov, 35, has a record of 14-8-4 this season, with a goals-against average of 2.60 and a save percentage of 0.918.

Sorokin, 28, has a record of 25-19-12 this season, with a goals-against average of 2.98 and a save percentage of 0.910. Last year in the playoffs, he was stunning in front of the Islanders' cage. (0.930 save percentage)

Sorokin is considered by many to be one of the top 5 goalies in the world, imagine that. He played 56 games this season, versus 28 for Varlamov.

It's like the New York Rangers trusting Jonathan Quick, and leaving Igor Shesterkin on the bench to start the playoffs.

It's very daring, but let's trust Patrick! He knows what he's doing!

Go Islanders!