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NHL Today: Roy “Not 100% Pleased” With Sorokin, East Playoff Race, Flyers Scratch Captain

Published

1 month ago

March 20, 2024

Andrew Fantucchio

Good morning, my name is Andrew Fantucchio. It’s Wednesday, March 20, and here’s what’s happening around the NHL today.

Patrick Roy “Not 100% Pleased” With Ilya Sorokin:

The numbers have said it all season, but it wasn’t until Tuesday that someone publicly acknowledged the drop-off in Ilya Sorokin’s play this year.

When asked to assess the recent performance of his starting goalie, New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy wasn’t thrilled with Sorokin.

“I’m not 100% pleased with [his play],” New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. “It’s obvious, and I’m sure he’s not [pleased with] himself.”

Sorokin has been the backbone of the Islanders, but his play this season has hindered the team more than it has helped. If that continues, the Islanders will need to adjust their system.

Since Roy took over as head coach, he’s steadily conducted that process, implementing a system that mirrors that of their opponent from Tuesday night, the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes took home the win by a final of 4-1 at UBS Arena, making it five losses in a row for the Islanders.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race Remains Tight:

By losing to the Hurricanes, the Islanders failed to pick up a pair of crucial points.

The playoff race in the Eastern Conference got even tighter last night as several teams the Islanders are competing with were in action.

The Philadelphia Flyers earned two points with a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. As for the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, they both won to maintain control of the two wildcard spots in the conference.

Elsewhere, the New Jersey Devils gained some ground, taking down the Pittsburgh Penguins in the process. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres dropped a heartbreaker in Vancouver.

Flyers Captain Held Accountable:

Sean Couturier was recently named the captain of the Philadelphia Flyers, but that doesn’t excuse him from scrutiny or accountability. With four points and -14 in his last 15 games, Couturier was scratched from the Flyers lineup last night by head coach John Tortorella.

More From National Hockey Now:

New Jersey: Bad goaltending has been the crutch of the New Jersey Devils all season. If they’re going to make a last-second push for the playoffs, they’ll need to lean on Jake Allen.

Pittsburgh: Even in the 19th year of his career, Sidney Crosby is one of the top performers in the NHL and is on the cusp of accomplishing only one other player has ever done before.

Boston: By scoring a hat trick, David Pastrnak has moved up the all-time Boston Bruins goal-scoring leaderboard, surpassing a franchise legend.