The Islanders are making a goalie change after losing the first two games of their playoff series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said Ilya Sorokin will start Game 3 on Thursday night at UBS Arena.

"I just feel like he's coming to the perfect scenario," said Roy after a spirited practice in East Meadow Wednesday afternoon. "We are down 2-0 in the series. Now (Ilya's) going in and all he can do is enjoy the ride."

Sorokin is is 6-5 lifetime in the NHL playoffs with a 2.70 GAA

Sorokin will replace Semyon Varlamov, who had a strong end to the regular season and boosted the Islanders on a late regular season run that earned them the third seed in the Metro Division. Roy did not blame Varlamov for the Isles first two losses in the playoffs, nor should he. There was plenty of blame to go around, especially on Monday when the Hurricanes became just the seventh team in NHL history to tie and win the game in the final three minutes of a playoff game. Instead, Roy made it seem like he just wanted a fresh body in net.

"Varly had a lot of shots the last game so it'll be good to have someone fresh for tomorrow," the coach explained.

The Islanders blew a 3-0 lead in game two by being sloppy with the puck and letting Carolina set the tone in the final two periods.

"We have to make that a one-off. We can't fall into a trap here or a trend of playing like that," forward Bo Horvat told News 12 on Wednesday. "We have to handle the puck a lot better and have confidence with the puck. If we do that, we'll be good."

It also helps that the Islanders will have the crowd on their side for the first time in the series.

"These are the biggest games of the year and it'll be great to play in front of our fans," said defenseman Adam Pelech.

So yes, the sting of an ugly loss on Monday still hurts. But the best remedy for the Islanders would be a win in Game 3.

"The fans love playoff hockey here and I can't wait for the arena to be rocking," said Horvat.

Thursday's game starts at 7:30 p.m. A fan tailgate party will start at The Park at UBS Arena at 4 p.m.