Yesterday was my father’s birthday and the start of the National Hockey League playoffs, with the first game of the series between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Islanders starting at 5pm.
In the second game of the day at around 8pm, the Bruins humiliated the Leafs.
Getting back to the Hurricanes vs. Islanders game, well, it was a close game, less spectacular than, say, the series between the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche tonight.
Of course, it wasn’t a bad game, but we knew very well that it wouldn’t be the most exciting and highest-scoring series, given that these are two fairly defensive teams.
Despite this, we were treated to a very funny scene, and it didn’t even take place on the ice.
What caused a stir on social networks and during the game was the fact that New York Islanders auxiliary goaltender Ilya Sorokin didn’t even have a chair to sit on.
This is no joke, I’ll let you see for yourself.
Nobody gave Islanders backup goalie Ilya Sorokin a chair to sit on 😭 pic.twitter.com/HYQitr3568
– Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) April 20, 2024
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So we see Sorokin standing along the picture window, watching the game without being able to sit down during the periods.
We laugh about it, but frankly, it’s neither proper nor fair play for the Hurricanes to let the opposing team’s auxiliary goalie dry up on his feet.
I understand that we’re in the playoffs and we don’t want to help our opponents in any way, but there are limits.
A simple chair is the least we can do.
Imagine if Sorokin had had to enter the game for any reason…
His legs would clearly have been a bit tired from standing in place (with all his equipment no less!) for so long.
That would have been a sporting disadvantage for the Islanders.
In short, Sorokin couldn’t have been too happy about being an auxiliary goalie for the first game of the playoffs, but he had to watch the whole game standing up.
It will be interesting to see whether Patrick Roy will go with Semyon Varlamov for game two of the series, or whether he’ll trust Sorokin.
There’s a big debate on the Islanders’ side as to which goalie should be the starter.
Stay tuned.
Do you think Sorokin (or Varlamov) will bring his own chair to game two?
That would be incredible.
In a flurry
– The Leafs have never led against the Bruins this season.
BOS-TOR 5 games this season.
Boston: 5-0-0
Lead time, 5 games:
BOS -209:08
TOR – 00:00– Kevin Paul Dupont (@GlobeKPD) April 21, 2024
– Love this.
– Grant McCagg (@grantmccagg) April 21, 2024
– A real luxury to have two trusted goalies.
Jim Montgomery said 1 of biggest factors in tapping Swayman for Game 1 was giving him opportunity to start a series & see how he responded: “It’s gonna be hard to go away from him (in Game 2) after way he played” But he also said they’d be comfortable starting Ullmark in Game 2
– Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) April 21, 2024
– Who would you most like to see win their first Stanley Cup?
See this post on Instagram
– Obviously.
Chinese Grand Prix | Max Verstappen wins again https://t.co/gbxqYUYLBY
– La Presse Sports (@LaPresse_Sports) April 21, 2024