NHL Season Secrets: Uncover the Surprising Strengths, Hidden Weaknesses, and Game-Changing X Factors for Every Team
And most of all, having a healthy Mathew Barzal back in the lineup gives New York another legitimate scoring threat it lacked for too much of last season.
Biggest concern: The Islanders’ goaltending is precarious. New York opted to keep David Rittich as a backup for Sorokin, and Rittich hasn’t exactly impressed in the preseason so far (he did, for example, allow two goals on four shots in one start against the Rangers). Now, exhibition season is for working out the kinks, but still.
Sorokin has been a reliable worker for the Islanders in seasons past, but that strategy generally comes back to bite teams down the stretch or when the No. 1 goes down with an injury. New York is hardly a goal-scoring behemoth (and their bottom six is looking particularly inconsistent this preseason) so how Rittich can support Sorokin in limiting goals could spell success or failure for the group this year.
Post Comment