Common sense says to stick with the hot hand in sports. Islanders’ goaltender Semyon Varlamov was 5-1-1 before the Islanders’ Tuesday night matchup against the hated Rangers. It was a no-brainer for Islanders head coach Patrick Roy to start him again.
Why ruin a good thing going?
After a 41-save performance in the Islanders’ 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night, Varlamov earned the right to start against the Rangers, and not surprisingly, he received the nod.
He validated Roy’s choice by making 32 saves in the Islanders’ 4-2 victory over the Rangers at UBS Arena. With four games to go, the Islanders now have 87 points, good enough for third place in the Metropolitan Division, and that standing would have them make the playoffs.
At this point, the starting goaltender job is Varlamov’s to lose. It would be shocking if Ilya Sorokin got a start in any of the remaining four games. Sorokin has been one of the reasons the Islanders have underachieved this season. His inconsistent play has been baffling. He has given up soft goals and way too many rebounds in his starts because he finds himself deep in his crease. He hasn’t won games on his own, even with Varlamov’s dominating performance the other night.
Sorokin’s had enough chances to show he should be starting. It’s not that he’s had a bad season – far from it – but he hasn’t exactly inspired confidence to be that guy when a team is holding onto a playoff spot. Varlamov has played better down the stretch, which has resulted in the Islanders winning five in a row.
His experience makes it easy for Roy to trust him, too. Remember, the Islanders head coach was the Islanders goaltender’s head coach when they worked for the Colorado Avalanche.
That’s why it makes sense; he knows what he’s doing out there.
Varlamov has been there and done that for 16 seasons. He offers the assurance that he can give the Islanders the best chance to win. He proved that on Saturday and did it again on Tuesday night. Varlamov made 11 saves in the first period, preventing Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, and Barclay Goodrow from scoring.
When the Rangers scored two power-play goals to cut their deficit to 3-2, Varlamov helped the Islanders stay afloat by making save after save. It was the type of leadership that appealed to Roy to start him. The Islanders goaltender wasn’t going to flinch despite the Rangers making a game of it again. In the third period, Varlamov made 13 saves to help the Islanders seal the win, including denying Alexis Lafreniere and Kappo Kakko in the final minutes.
The Islanders needed him there because the Rangers didn’t give the home team more room and chances to score. This was his game to lose, and he delivered. The home team doesn’t get two points in regulation without his play in the third period. With a game like this, he was the right guy to start. A 3-0 lead should be a lead that a goaltender has to protect for a team to win. This is where Varlamov’s experience comes in so handy. He won’t be overwhelmed by the pressure that comes with it.
He certainly has come a long way from what he was like when he entered the league. Like Sorokin, Varlamov has had his up-and-down moments as a young player. He would blow leads back then, a hothead who would let blown saves get to him. I remember watching Varlamov blow four leads for the Avalanche in their Game 7 playoff series against the Minnesota Wild in 2014. The Avs lost 5-4 in overtime, ending their season. Varlamov just imploded there.
All of those experiences served him well in becoming the goaltender he is today. His work with goaltender director Mitch Korn also paid off during his tenure as an Islander. Varlamov’s experience is also something Sorokin can learn from in his fledgling career.
There’s something to be said about wisdom and maturity when it comes to handling struggles and nerves. Varlamov’s been there, done that, and it serves him so well. This is the definition of a professional right there. It’s why he was the right guy in the third period when the Islanders needed him on Tuesday night.
It’s why he was the right guy to start on Tuesday night and why Roy will stick with him until the bottom falls out.
