Varlamov has watched the Islanders' six-game streak from the bench. Now, he'll be called upon to push the streak to seven.
ANAHEIM, CA -- After sitting on the bench for this entire six-game win streak thus far, Semyon Varlamov will be back between the pipes for the New York Islanders on Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks.
The 35-year-old netminder has made just 18 appearances this season, posting a .910 SV% and a 2.91 GAA. He last played on Feb. 22 in a 4-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Now, Varlamov be called upon to keep the winning streak alive against a Ducks team which he is 5-6-3 against, with a 3.08 GAA and a 902 SV% in 15 career appearances.
While rust can certainly affect Varlamov, his head coach Patrick Roy knows his veteran goaltender will be ready to go.
"He's a pro. I mean, he's a guy that always works hard in the practice." Roy said. "And even if there are days off, he comes in.
"I know he's gonna be ready."
Roy, a Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender, never got to the point in his career where he was a backup, unlike Varlamov, who knew that he was signing up for that when he inked a four-year extension this past summer.
"I couldn't do what he does. I could not have that patience," Roy said on Varlamov's role. "That was not in me. Sitting on the bench was something that I couldn't do. We're all different. And I think the relationship between Varly and Ilya is so good, and they like each other so much. Varly is such a great vet.
"I think he's enjoyed this situation of helping Ilya and helping him to be an even better goalie. So we're very lucky to have both of these guys."
Varlamov isn't looking at the schedule and guessinng how many games he will get down the stretch here. He just knows that he has to be ready to go when called upon.
"It's up to the coaching staff. They are making the decision on who's playing, who's in and who's out," Varlamov said.
The Islanders are surging and Varlamov said that they're a confident bunch as they continue to make the push for the playoffs.
"I think the team is feeling pretty confident right now," Varlamov said. "It's always fun to get that winning streak going. I think we've been playing with a lot of confidence the last couple of games.
"The team is playing fast hockey. I'm a big believer that if you're playing fast hockey, you have a better chance to win. And we were able to play fast, and I think that's why we had a good success the last couple of games."
Varlamov has played four games under Roy, whose put an emphasis on puck possession, which goaltenders love.
"You don't want to spend a lot of time in your zone. I think our guys have done a great job, like breaking out those pucks and getting out of the zone as quick as possible," Varlamov said. The transition game was pretty good, too.
"As a goalie, I think you like to see teams scoring a lot of goals. It always helps, and then we're able to score lately, a lot of goals. So it helps and makes it easier to play when you have a lead."
Part of puck possession is the goaltender coming out to slow down rim attempts or getting behind his net to quickly dish a puck to a teammate to help with the transition game.
Just like for Sorokin, playing the puck more is not something Varlamov would say he's the best at, but it's an important part of the Roy system.
"As a goalie, you always want to communicate with your team and you always try to help them to break those pucks out of the zone," Varlamov said. "I mean, you try to do your best.
"Unfortunately, I'm not the best out there, like behind the net with the puck handling and stuff. But I try my best, and Ilya is doing the same thing."
Practice time has become rather important for Varlamov with the lack of playing time, but he said that his preparation hasn't changed one bit.
"The preparation stays the same because you just never know when you have to go in and play a game," Varlamov said. "You have to make sure you are always ready every game because you have to be ready to jump in at any moment.
"The preparation never changes. The schedule, of course, changes, and the practices change. You have to stay longer out on the ice, stay in shape, and stuff like that."
Varlamov has lost his last six starts (0-4-2), last beating the Ducks on Long Island on Dec. 13, a 4-3 victory, courtesy of a Simon Holmstrom snipe with 1:33 to play in the third.
On Sunday night, he'll get his chance to snap his personal skid and get the Islanders into a playoff spot.