Semyon Varlamov gets his first Islanders win in 712 days

The number going around the Islanders beat Tuesday night was the gap between wins, and it's a big one.

Ethan Sears

@ethan_sears

Isles win it in a shootout to give Semyon Varlamov his first win in 712 days.

It almost didn't happen. The Isles were up 3-0 early in the 2nd on goals from Anthony Duclair, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat. Then Nashville scored 3 straight, from Filip Forsberg, Alexander Kerfoot and Ryan O'Reilly, and forced overtime. Varlamov made 20 saves, and in the shootout Kyle Palmieri and Horvat scored while he stopped both Predators attempts. The win also ended a 7-game losing streak in Nashville for the Islanders, who hadn't won there since Oct. 28, 2017.

Now the reason this one hits different. Varlamov's last NHL game before this season was Nov. 29, 2024. After that he had both knees partially replaced, and he's believed to be the only player in NHL history to restart his career after that surgery. He's 38. He made his first start back on Oct. 7 against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. After Tuesday's win, he made it clear he knew exactly who stuck with him.

Ethan Sears

@ethan_sears

Semyon Varlamov was effusive in thanking the entire organization from ownership on down for believing in him. “It was such a grind the last two years to get to this point where you have an opportunity to play and then compete at the highest level in the world.”

He wasn't the only one with doubts. Pete DeBoer was pretty candid that the Islanders signed up for this without knowing whether a 38-year-old on 2 rebuilt knees could actually hold up in an NHL crease.

Ethan Sears

@ethan_sears

Pete DeBoer on Varly: “The discussions in the summer were, I don't think anyone was sure, because it was such such an unheard of comeback with what he had gone through. … I don’t think anyone was sure until he got to camp and started to play.”

That's the part that changes the Islanders' season. Ilya Sorokin is still the guy, but DeBoer has already said he doesn't want to overplay him. A backup who can steal points on the road means Sorokin can rest without the Isles writing off those nights. One shootout win doesn't settle that. It's still a lot more than anyone was willing to promise over the summer.

The locker room got it too. Horvat had a goal and the shootout winner, and he wasn't talking about either one afterward.

Andrew Gross

@AGrossNewsday

Told Bo Horvat I thought that was the loudest the #Isles room had sounded after a win so far this season. "Oh yeah," Horvat said. Whole team overjoyed for Varlamov

The win itself was messy. Blowing a 3-0 lead is something DeBoer will be on them about in film. But nobody in that room is going to remember this one for the collapse. Next up is finding out whether Varlamov can do it again, and how often DeBoer is willing to give him the net.