The Islanders are in Vancouver for the second game of their four-game northwestern trip. Ilya Sorokin is expected to start, but Semyon Varlamov is off IR and was getting reps in this morning, according to beatwriters following the team.
The Islanders (21-15-2) begin the day sixth in the Metro, with a five-point gap between them and the second-place Devils. The Canucks (16-17-3) are sixth in the Pacific, a bit further back but not completely out of it, amid a season of much drama and consternation.
To keep with the “Group of Death” Metro pack, the Isles very much need to pick up points on trips like this.