Stefen Rosner
The New York Islanders have been buzzing recently. They have won four straight contests and have instilled a new sense of life and belief into the fan base that a playoff chance, regardless of how slim, is still possible.
Although there are many reasons for the success, the play of netminder Semyon Varlamov is at the forefront.
Varlamov went 3-0-0, with a 1.67 GAA and a .952 SV%.
His play this past week earned him the NHL’s Third Star of the Week.
With Ilya Sorokin on the shelf with an upper-body injury, Semyon Varlamov started three straight games, including both of a back-to-back situation.
On Tuesday, Varlamov stopped 42 of 45 shots as the New York Islanders defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets in Columbus.
Columbus was on Long Island on Thursday, in which Varlamov again stood tall, stopping 30 of 32 in a 5-2 win.
The most impressive start of the week came less than 24 hours later, as Varlamov told head coach Barry Trotz that he was feeling good enough to play the second leg of the back-to-back as well.
At Madison Square Garden, against the second-place New York Rangers, Semyon Varlamov shut out the New York Islanders biggest rival, turning aside all 27 shots that came his way.
Not only did he record his second shutout of the season, but it was his fourth consecutive shutout at Madison Square Garden.
In total, Semyon Varlamov stopped 99 of 104 shots that came his way.
