Hall of Famer goalie Billy Smith won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders and backstopped the team to five straight appearances in the Cup Final. Meaning dislodging him from the team’s record book is significant.
That’s something Semyon Varlamov can do within the opening minute of Wednesday afternoon’s Game 2 of the Islanders’ second-round series against the Flyers at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. His playoff shutout streak of 136:20 -- after a 29-save performance in Monday’s 4-0 win in Game 1 -- puts him within 39 seconds of Smith’s team record.
“He’s a backbone for us,” Islanders center Brock Nelson said.