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Tonight, the New York Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers at the Coliseum. It will be the first game in which the Islanders welcome fans that are not healthcare workers. Even though it’s only 1,391 people, I’m sure that we’ll hear them loud and clear.
#Isles take ice for warmups. Fans pleased. pic.twitter.com/jemyLKIBAt
— Neil Best (@sportswatch) March 18, 2021
In his media availability this morning, head coach Barry Trotz announced that everyone besides Noah Dobson would be available to him tonight.
Trotz: Everyone except Dobson (COVID protocol) available for tonight. #Isles
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) March 18, 2021
As it turns out, Dobson remained on the daily COVID-19 protocol list when it was released this afternoon at 5:00 p.m.
Defenseman Noah Dobson remained on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list for the fifth straight game and will miss his third game as the #Isles face the Flyers at Nassau Coliseum.
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) March 18, 2021
Semyon Varlamov led out the team, which means that he will start in goal tonight.
Semyon Varlamov gets the start for #Isles tonight.
— Andrew Gross (@AGrossNewsday) March 18, 2021
Back at the Barn with the BEST FANS! pic.twitter.com/mo4qEbJgNV
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 18, 2021
Andrew Gross usually tweets out, right at 6:29 p.m., the goaltending match-ups, and then the line rushes if he’s at the game. But because he did not do the former, we may not be getting line rushes tweeted to us. So we will have to wait to see who Trotz dressed tonight.
UPDATE: And of course, right after this publishes, Arthur Staple tweets out the roster changes. Michael Dal Colle draws back in, presumably on the third line. Sebastian Aho gets another run.
Dal Colle goes in for Czarnik, Aho stays in for Dobson, Varlamov in net for #Isles tonight.
— Arthur Staple (@StapeAthletic) March 18, 2021