Programming Note: I am traveling this morning and outside the US this week. I’ll be doing my best to get a newsletter out, but publications could be delayed and/or shortened #LGI
Good Morning, Islanders Country.
I have to admit; I didn’t think we’d see or hear UBS Arena like it was on Saturday night at any point this season. A dream of an out-of-town Friday night scoreboard set the stage for a raucous crowd, and the fans delivered a playoff-like atmosphere that helped lift the team to their first win over Nashville since 2017.
The fans went home happy thanks to the performance of Semyon Varlamov. The 41st shutout in the career of No. 41 was one of his most impressive. Per Natural Stat Trick, the expected goals for Nashville were 4.98, making the shutout that much more impressive. The Preds had 22 high-danger chances to the Isles’ eight.
Varlamov simply stole two crucial points for the Islanders, something that hasn't happened as often as expected this season. “He was outstanding. He looked so confident out there. It looked like it was an easy game, and I was happy to see him play that way,” Roy said. “He won the game for us tonight.”
If you had said on the day Patrick Roy was hired, at the All-Star break, or during their six-game win streak that the Isles would control their destiny for third place in the Metro with five games remaining, you would’ve taken it.
