While the Islanders have certainly lacked goal scoring these past few weeks, Semyon Varlamov is leading one of the league’s strongest goaltending tandems into the playoffs.

Both Islanders’ goalies have had strong seasons, but Semyon Varlamov has played well enough to earn the start in the first game of the playoffs, regardless of the opponent.

Strong Play Down the Stretch

The veteran Russian netminder has a 2.12 goals against average and a .926 save percentage through 31 games. He was especially hot in April with two shutouts against the first-place Washington Capitals. After losing three straight to them, there’s a chance Varlamov and the Islanders will face them in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Varlamov had some notable performances this month. They include a 26-save performance against the Rangers and a 44-save losing effort against Boston.

Those numbers are significant considering the slump he went through in March. From March 16 until April 1, Varlamov lost three of his five starts. He had a save percentage lower than .910 in each game. It was encouraging to see the 33-year-old rebound after a rough stretch at an important point of the season.

Consistency

Even if you argue that Ilya Sorokin has played better than Varlamov, the former certainly hasn’t been as consistent as Varlamov. Sorokin has a sub-.900 save percentage in 31.6% of his games this year, compared to 22.6% for Varlamov.

Additionally, even though Sorokin’s three shutouts look flashy, he only had to make 20 saves in two of them. Varlamov has five shutouts this season and had the lightest workload in a 24-save game against the Rangers in the season opener.

In addition, Varlamov played seven games in which he only allowed one goal this season. That means he’s allowed one goal or less in 38.7% of his games, compared to 31.6% for Sorokin.

Islanders fans know that Sorokin is more than capable of impressing Islanders fans with his acrobatic saves. However, Semyon Varlamov is a much more reliable goaltender over the course of a season, and that will help the Islanders win games in the playoffs.

Stronger Teams

Of Ilya Sorokin’s 12 wins this season, only one has come against a team currently in playoff position. He has five wins against the Flyers, three against the Sabres, two against the Devils, one against the Rangers and one more against the Penguins.

Compare that to Varlamov’s eight wins against playoff teams. He won five games against Boston, two against Washington, three against the Rangers, three against Buffalo, three against the Devils and one against the Penguins.

While it’s concerning that both goalies lack wins against the Penguins and Capitals, Varlamov certainly has Boston’s number. The Bruins have a game in hand on the Islanders. This gives them a shot to potentially climb back to the top of the MassMutual East Division standings. It’s less likely than Washington or Pittsburgh, but the Islanders might play them in the first round. I’d want Semyon Varlamov starting if the Islanders face them in the playoffs or any team for that matter.

Barry Trotz has a pattern of trusting veterans this season. I predict that the Islanders’ head coach will continue that trend and start Semyon Varlamov in the playoffs.

Ben Baruch

Born and raised on Long Island. Isles fan since 2009. Studying journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park.