Islanders lose in shootout to Senators as Franklin Square's Shane Pinto scores winner

OTTAWA, Ontario — The Islanders need Semyon Varlamov to keep them in games like this.

“Varly was great,” defenseman Adam Pelech told Newsday on Thursday night. “He played amazing tonight and we’re thrilled to have him back. Not only is he a great goaltender but a great teammate. I’m just disappointed we couldn’t get the job done for him.”

Both teams limited the scoring opportunities, a few odd-man chances for the Senators aside, so the low-scoring affair was as good a test as any for Varlamov, making his second start of the season in his comeback from two partial knee replacement surgeries that had kept him sidelined since Nov. 29, 2024.

He made 18 saves as the Islanders played past regulation for the first time this season, losing a 2-1 shootout at Canadian Tire Centre. Franklin Square’s Shane Pinto scored the lone shootout goal in the third round.

“There’s a lot of, I won’t say new things, but just different moments for me,” Varlamov said. “Like going to OT and experiencing the shootout. I haven’t been in that position for a while. Today, unfortunately, we lost, but it is what it is.”

The Islanders needed a strong performance from Varlamov with the Senators’ Linus Ullmark, who topped Ilya Sorokin for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2023 when he was with the Bruins, looking fairly unbeatable. Ullmark (20 saves) has won his first six starts, compiling a 1.20 goals-against average and a .949 save percentage.

For Sorokin, again a Vezina runner-up last season to the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, to remain at that level, Varlamov must make enough quality starts to keep the Islanders’ No. 1 netminder fresh for the hoped-for playoff push. Coach Pete DeBoer has said that, optimally, Varlamov will play once every seven to 10 days.

“Huge game by our goaltender,” DeBoer said. “I can’t say enough about his journey and what he’s done to get here and then what he did tonight. So good to see.

“That has to be the hardest position to come back from an extended absence because so much of it is timing and seeing the puck. And you can’t replicate game action in practice for that, either. We saw game one, he got through with the Rangers. I thought he was pretty good. Tonight he looked like the old Varly. It’s great to see and it’s great for us because we’re going to need him.”

Varlamov backstopped a penalty kill that went 4-for-4 — including Pelech’s hook at 1:52 of overtime — while giving up five shots as the Senators’ power play spent long stretches controlling the puck in the Islanders’ zone. The Islanders went 0-for-3 on the power play, also failing to convert on an overtime man-advantage opportunity in the final minute.

Varlamov also had a shaky first period, beaten twice to the short side on apparent goals that were not goals.

The scouting report seems to be out around the NHL to shoot at Varlamov’s glove. The Rangers did so successfully in Varlamov’s first start as he allowed three goals on 22 shots in a 5-2 loss on Oct. 6 at Madison Square Garden.

Warren Foegele snapped a shot over Varlamov’s glove from the right circle at 4:50 — it appeared to change direction with Pelech trying to get his stick on the shot — but video review confirmed the puck hit the crossbar and stayed out. Then Stephen Halliday had his snap shot to the short side from the right circle overturned by an Islanders challenge for offside.

“It let him settle in a little bit,” DeBoer said. “We all need a break sometimes, and no one deserves one more than him.”

Varlamov appeared more comfortable after the first period, moving well to get back in position and deny Halliday’s power-play try from the left post at 13:38 of the second period.

But Varlamov could do little as the Islanders were caught in a line change and defenseman Artem Zub’s stretch pass sprung Foegele to lead an odd-man rush as he found Ridly Greig cutting to the net to tie it at 1-1.

Matias Maccelli, elevated to the top line, opened the scoring at 19:48 of the first period, stripping Pinto of the puck at the Senators’ blue line and skating in to beat Ullmark. It extended Maccelli’s point streak to five games.

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.