Varlamov stays hot with shutout, but may need backup

Semyon Varlamov hadn’t registered a playoff shutout since 2009, but now he’s recorded two in the span of four days.

With 29 saves in a 4-0 rout of the Flyers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Monday night, Varlamov collected his fourth career playoff shutout as he blanked the Islanders’secondstraightopponent following another 4-0 win over the Capitals to close out their first-round series last week.

“We’re playing well defensively, of course I’m going to mention that,” Varlamov said on a Zoom call following the win. “The guys played unbelievable in front of me again, [Andy Greene] made some big saves in the first period so I appreciated that. It feels good to get back-to-back shutouts, but at this point it’s not about shutouts. It’s playoff hockey so for me the most important thing is to get the win and get ready for the next game.

“Of course I’m excited about it, I’m not going to lie, but it is what it is.”

Varlamov has been the Islanders’ starting goaltender since arriving in the Toronto bubble, but a heavy schedule for their second-round series may open a door for a change in net.

However, with two sets of back-to-back games scheduled for the best-ofseven series, Trotz wouldn’t commit to sticking with Varlamov the whole way. There may be a situation where Trotz will opt to go with Thomas Greiss instead.

“I think what we want to do is take it one game at a time,” Trotz said on a Zoom call prior to Game 1. “I feel very blessed that we have two goaltenders who can jump in there if anything happens. We have back-toback’s so those decisions may come into play as well.

➤ Trotz made some adjustments to the lineup Monday as fourth-line winger Cal Clutterbuck became available after taking a low hit in Game 4 of the opening series and missing Game 5 against the Capitals.

Clutterbuck was reinsertedintothelineupinhis usual fourth line role, while Leo Komarov was bumped back up to the third line. Ross Johnston remained in on the third line, while Michael Dal Colle was removed after makinghispostseason debut in

Game

5 against Washington.