ELMONT, N.Y. -- No moment in the Eastern Conference First Round has been too big for Semyon Varlamov.
The New York Islanders goalie has been an unexpected difference-maker in the best-of-7 series against the Carolina Hurricanes, considering he was the backup at the start of the regular season.
Varlamov made 42 saves when the Islanders earned a 3-2 double-overtime win in Game 4 at UBS Arena on Saturday. He stopped all 18 shots he faced after the third period, allowing the Islanders to hang around until Mathew Barzal won it with a tipped shot at 1:24 of the second OT.
"We are still in it, which is very exciting," Varlamov said after the game.
Not a bad birthday present for the man who turned 36 on Saturday.
"It was an awesome day for myself, for the team especially and for my family," he said.
The Islanders are alive, in large part, because Varlamov has been the best player in the series.
He made save after save Saturday, when the Hurricanes were looking for the sweep and an extended break before the second round. Instead, they lead the best-of-7 series 3-1 with the Islanders taking some momentum into Game 5 at PNC Arena on Tuesday (7:30 p.m. ET; MAX, MSGSN, TBS, BSSO, SN360, TVAS).
They were in the same situation against Carolina in 2023 first round, trailing 3-1 heading to Raleigh, North Carolina. They won Game 5 and forced Game 6, a 2-1 OT loss on home ice.
The Islanders believe they have a puncher's chance to become the fifth team in NHL history to pull off the reverse sweep in a best-of-7 Stanley Cup Playoff series. That's the confidence an elite goalie gives a team this time of the season.
The surprise is that the goalie is Varlamov and not Ilya Sorokin, the unquestioned No. 1 at the start of the season. Sorokin was a finalist for the 2023 Vezina Trophy, given to the League's best goalie. He started all six playoff games and had a .929 save percentage. He was in the ascendancy.
But the wheels fell off a bit for Sorokin this season. He struggled in the second half and Varlamov usurped his job. He did it because of his never-rattled outlook and an economy of movement in the crease.
"He's got a great demeanor about him," Barzal said. "Him and [Sorokin], they both just dialed in all the time, staying late after practice, working hard, and they both, honestly, have a calming presence when they play.
"'Varly,' just being a veteran, he's been through numerous situations throughout his career, ups and downs, and he seems to be an even keel. He's an awesome teammate and he's been a rock for us every time he has in net."
Varlamov has a .930 save percentage this season against Carolina, better than the .920 from Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen.
He allowed two goals in Game 1 and four in Game 2, but the Islanders couldn't hold a 3-0 lead, were out-attempted 112-27 and had five shots on goal in the final 40 minutes.
Sorokin started Game 3 with the Islanders hoping to change momentum. It didn't work and Sorokin didn't finish the game.
Varlamov's 42 saves in Game 4 tied for third-most by an Islanders goalie in a potential elimination game. He has made at least 40 saves four times in the playoffs while playing for New York.
None of this surprises coach Patrick Roy. After replacing Lane Lambert on Jan. 20, one of the first players he recognized was Varlamov, who was a goalie for the Colorado Avalanche during Roy's three-season tenure (2013-16) in Denver.
It's not surprising Roy has leaned on Varlamov heavily down the stretch. There's a comfort level there. The two goalies evenly split the final 20 regular-season games and that was when Varlamov stole the starting job for the playoffs, going 8-1-1 with a 2.09 goals-against average and .930 save percentage.
There was little question he would be the starter come the postseason.
"I mean, he's big in the net and he's playing with so much confidence right now and brings confidence to our guys as well," Roy said. "Seeing him make those saves, it brings some security to the group, and I think that helps a lot."
Varlamov seemed to get better as the stakes rose Saturday. He had a catalog of big saves in each overtime, robbing defenseman Tony DeAngelo and forward Seth Jarvis, who already scored a goal earlier in the game.
The save he made with the shaft of his stick against Jesperi Kotkaniemi at 18:20 of the first OT was the piece de resistance, causing the UBS Arena crowd to chant, "Varly, Varly, Varly," not for the first time, but perhaps the loudest.
"If that goes in, we are having a different conversation right now," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said.
Instead, everyone is talking about the Varlamov and his improbable journey to the postseason spotlight.
"He's calm," Roy said. "He's calm and he's very confident right now and you can see it in his body language."
