The Islanders outshot the Rangers 22-6 in the first period.
"I thought we were a little bit curious, I don't know if intimidated is the word, to see how this game was going to start," Quinn said. "I think our guys were kind of wondering what was going to happen in the first period and we kind of lost our pace of play."
The Rangers found it in the second period and tied the game 1-1 on a power-play goal by Zibanejad at 12:46.
After the initial shot trickled past Varlamov, Ryan Pulock tried to play the puck out of the crease, but his attempt hit Varlamov and Zibanejad's stick and crossed the goal line before he was able to glove it out.
The play was not initially called a goal on the ice, and play continued for another 1:12 before the NHL Situation Room informed the officials that the puck completely crossed the line.
"We saw it," Quinn said. "It was definitely in. We knew it was a goal."