Stefen Rosner of NHL.com is reporting that New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov is expected to return to team practice at some point this week.

On Wednesday, I wrote a story about how the New York Islanders would have to make an incredibly hard decision on Marcus Hogberg when Semyon Varlamov was ready to come off long-term injury reserve.

He has impressed everyone, coach Patrick Roy included, over a run of three starts in four games, over which he’s allowed just three total goals.

SALT LAKE CITY — The Islanders’ disaster scenario came to pass on Saturday. With Semyon Varlamov out with a lower-body injury, Ilya Sorokin fell ill and was unavailable for the match against Utah Hockey Club. That left the Isles scrambling, with Marcus Hogberg in net and Jakub Skarek being recalled from Bridgeport on an emergency basis.

EAST MEADOW, NY -- The New York Islanders are planning to go with ... Ilya Sorokin, who has played a lot in the absence of Semyon Varlamov, has struggled to find consistency in his game.

Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games and the Senators beat the Islanders on Tuesday night.

Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves for his second career shutout and Adam Gaudette's second period goal was the only one to beat Marcus Hogberg as the Ottawa Senators snapped the Isles' three-game winning streak with a 2-0 victory before a crowd of 15,101 at UBS Arena.

Roy won two Stanley Cups with the Avalanche, while Varlamov was on the team Roy coached that won the Presidents' Trophy.

While he's been a great story, the Islanders do have a Hogberg problem. On the surface, the Islanders having Hogberg on a two-year deal worth $775,000 is a lip-licking deal, especially if he's going to play like this more often than not.

Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games and the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Islanders ... t play due to illness, and Semyon Varlamov is on injured reserve.

Though Marcus Hogberg has been solid, coach Patrick Roy said Sorokin will be in net for the important game against Columbus at UBS.

The Isles are 8-5-7 in games decided by a single goal including 4-5 in regulation. They are 2-6 in games decided in overtime and are 2-1 in shootouts. The Isles are 3-8 in games in which an empty-net goal turns a 1-goal game into a 2-goal game.