TORONTO — It's been almost four years on the calendar since Marcus Hogberg led an NHL team out of the tunnel for warm-ups.
He had returned to Sweden during that time and was largely off the NHL's radar.
By all accounts, his career on this side of the Atlantic appeared to be over.
Yes, even after Sunday night's 3-2 loss to the Penguins, Hogberg felt like he accomplished something in his first goal start for the Islanders. Marcus Hogberg, Islanders goaltender Marcus Hogberg, Islanders goaltender
“It was special,” he said. “It's a great feeling standing here to go back to Sweden and come back three or four years later. But I want to win.”
It wasn't entirely his fault that Hogberg didn't come away with the win, as he made 38 saves on 41 shots and repeatedly came to the Islanders' relief, including a late highlight-reel save on Brian Rust.
In fact, he did enough that it would be surprising even if Hogberg didn't take another shot at the start right away.
“I thought he was an outstanding player,” coach Patrick Roy said. “I don't think we played well in front of him. Defensively, we allowed like 40 shots. In my opinion, that's too many shots.
“…I thought he gave us a chance. He made a tremendous save. [on Rust] lastly. It gave us a chance to get back into the game by keeping it a 3-2 game. ”
While Ilya Sorokin started 12 straight games last month, the Islanders were clearly reluctant to use Hogberg due to Semyon Varlamov's lower-body injury, but they do have some It looks like they have a No. 3 goalie who deserves a spot on the roster. trust.
Beyond the personal feat Hogberg achieved Sunday, it's the potential lasting impact. Especially considering Varlamov hasn't started skating on his own yet, that indicates he's not close to a return.
Even if Hogberg were to play every third or fourth game, it would be a huge relief for Sorokin, who has posted an .843 save percentage in his past six starts, a burden he has struggled to carry at times. Probably.
The Islanders don't need Hogberg to be their hero. But more games like Sunday's would be most welcome.
“He played well enough for us to win,” Bo Horvat said. “And we need to be better in front of him.”
