Takeaways: Varlamov Leads Isles to 4-3 Shootout Win in Nashville

For over two years, Semyon Varlamov waited to celebrate another NHL win. On Thursday night, the Islanders goaltender finally welcomed his teammates back to his crease for victory hugs after a 4-3 shootout win over the Nashville Predators.

It came in the wake of two partial knee replacements, two conditioning starts with the Bridgeport Islanders last April and too many rehab sessions to count, but it was all worth it for Thursday’s two points.

It was a celebration exactly 712 days in the making.

“It's an amazing feeling, a very special moment,” Varlamov said. “A year ago, to be honest with you, I didn't see this coming. It was such a grind, like the last two years, to get to this point when you have the opportunity to play and then compete at the highest level in the world. I mean, I'm very thankful for this opportunity.”

Varlamov stopped 20-of-23 shots in the win, plus two more in the shootout, including a nifty poke check on Ryan O’Reilly.

That, combined with goals from Anthony Duclair, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat in regulation and a pair of shootout markers from Horvat and Kyle Palmieri, who scored the game-deciding goal, added up to the Islanders' first win in Nashville since Oct. 28, 2017.

While Varlamov’s comeback ensured it Tuesday wasn’t a run-of-the-mill two points, they were important points nonetheless for an Isles team looking to snap a two-game winless skid (0-1-1) and make amends for Sunday’s leaky 6-3 loss in Dallas. 

It wasn’t without drama, as the Isles built and lost a 3-0 lead, but the Isles dug in when they needed to and ground out the win. 

“It was a great response game by our group after the Dallas game,” Head Coach Pete DeBoer said. “This is a hard league to win in, and this is a hard building to win in. So it's two big points for us.”

VARLAMOV’S BIG NIGHT

It was a feel-good night for Varlamov, but it was far from an easy night for the Islanders netminder. 

The 38-year-old came up with some key saves down the stretch for the Isles on Tuesday night, including a key stop on Filip Forsberg on a Predators power play midway through the third period tied 3-3. Varlamov also forced Forsberg to shoot wide in the shootout after his key poke on O’Reilly. 

“After missing all that time, I think every night that we've rolled him out there, he's been a little bit better and a little bit more comfortable,” DeBoer said postgame. ”He was our best player tonight.”

The Isles stepped up with five blocked shots in the final 1:44 of the third period to preserve a chance to win for Varlamov. It was easy to see what his win meant to the group, as they flooded Varlamov, forgoing the usual lineup for a full group hug, with added appreciation, joy and excitement in the usual ritual tonight. 

“I think it's a really close group in there,” DeBoer said postgame. “I'm kind of entering as a new guy, obviously, but it's impressive, and I think there are great veterans that have been around for a while with good experience and chemistry that have played together for a long time.”

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The cheers didn’t stop there. The locker room echoed with bravado that any establishment on Broadway would welcome and appreciate. Varlamov took home both the hard hat and the oar, a first in the Islanders' young season. 

There were taps on the goalie pads in the room,  moments of big smiles and cheers with Goalie Coach Sergei Naumovs. For Varlamov, the celebration, featuring just about everyone, on and off the ice in the Islanders organization, was fitting. 

“It took me a long time, but I’m glad this organization, Mathieu Darche, the GM and coaching staff and the ownership gave me this opportunity,” Varlamov added. “I'm very thankful, and I appreciate that they believed in me and gave me this chance. So I'm just humble and very, very thankful.”

SCHAEFER BECOMES FIRST PLAYER TO PLAY ENTIRE OT, SETS CAREER-HIGH ON TOI

Matthew Schaefer made more history on Tuesday night. 

Per the NHL Media site, Schaefer became the first skater on record to skate all five minutes of an overtime period (since 2009-10 when real-time TOI data was officially tracked). He didn’t look tired either, tracking back at the end of his OT shift to nullify a potential Predators breakaway.

Buoyed by his five-minute stint in OT, the 19-year-old defenseman recorded a career-high 32:16. 

He also extended his point streak to five games with an assist on Bo Horvat’s goal to make it 3-0 1:08 into the second period. 

“He was all over the ice tonight, like he is every night,” DeBoer said. “He just wants to make a difference every shift, and that's what's so special about him.”

SCHENN SCORES 300TH

Schenn also hit a milestone on Tuesday, as the veteran forward netted his 300th career goal to put the Isles ahead 2-0 in the first period. 

Schenn became the eighth player from the 2009 Draft to reach the mark and the 249th overall in NHL history. It also pushes Schenn’s point streak to four games, his first of that length since a five-game stretch from Feb. 23 - Mar. 2, 2025.

“Stats are great and all that type of stuff, but I take it as a accomplishment as to how many good teammates and coaches and opportunities that I've have along the way in order to put put me in that position,” Schenn said. “I've had a lot of great linemates over the course of my career, and like I said, I just got rewarded by my teammates. It's nice, but at the end of the day, it goes to the other guys that you play with and the opportunity you get.”

ISLES GO 11/7

The Isles went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Tuesday, with Scott Mayfield drawing back into the lineup in place of Kyle MacLean. Mayfield played 9:06 TOI with three blocked shots in his third game of the season. 

NEXT GAME

The Islanders will conclude their three-game road trip against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday. Faceoff is set for 8 p.m. EDT, with coverage on MSGSN.