Cory Schneider earned a shutout in Tuesday night’s preseason win against the Philadelphia Flyers, and he’ll have to have similar performances if Semyon Varlamov has to miss time this season.

The Islanders got by on just two goalies last season, but that might not be the case this season. Varlamov is yet to take the ice in training camp due to a nagging injury. He might not be ready for the start of the regular season.

But Cory Schneider’s performance on Tuesday should give Islanders fans some confidence if Semyon Varlamov can’t play. He made 24 saves in the 3-0 victory. Some key stops came in the latter part of the game, including a strong left pad save in the third period to preserve a 2-0 lead and a breakaway save in the second.

He also appears to have the confidence of his coach. According to Schneider, he came into the game expecting to start the first two periods. Head coach Barry Trotz told him to start the third period during the second intermission.

“I honestly felt better as the game went on,” Schneider told reporters after the game. “Early in the first it bounced off me – I’d like to have taken better care – but I thought after that, I was a little bit cleaner, handling the shots and the rebounds better. I was glad I got to play the third.”

The fact that Schneider played the entire game was significant considering Trotz’s comments earlier on Tuesday. He said he’s being “overly cautious” with Varlamov’s injury. He added he’d rather have him rest up at the start of the season than when they’re in the middle of a tight stretch.

It’s encouraging that Trotz is looking at the bigger picture with his goalies.

Two confident goalies will be crucial for the Islanders early in the season, which opens on Oct. 14 with a 13-game road trip. The trip includes three back-to-backs and a stretch of four cities in six nights. That stretch starts in Chicago, then back east to Columbus, then out west to Phoenix and Las Vegas. No sane fan or coach should expect their starting goalie to start three, let alone all four, of those games.

It’s also great to have Cory Schneider as a third goalie. Many teams don’t have the luxury of having such an experienced netminder so far down the depth chart. He’s played over 400 NHL games, registering a 2.43 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He also has a William M. Jennings Trophy to his name. Sure, he hasn’t played an NHL game since 2019-20, but this last preseason game was promising.

If Cory Schneider needs to fill in for Semyon Varlamov early this season, that shouldn’t worry Isles fans in the slightest.

Ben Baruch

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