# 712 Days Later, Varlamov Is a Winner Again Source: SportsBriefly (https://sportsbriefly.com) Canonical URL: https://sportsbriefly.com/en/other/712-days-later-varlamov-is-a-winner-again-2026-10-29-1jj34tz Language: en Published: 2026-10-29T03:26:51.746+00:00 Updated: 2026-10-29T03:26:51.821001+00:00 > Semyon Varlamov stopped 20 shots and both Nashville shootout attempts as the Islanders beat the Predators 4-3 in Nashville, ending a 712-day wait for an NHL victory. ## TL;DR - Semyon Varlamov earned his first NHL win since 14 November 2024, ending a 712-day wait. - The Islanders beat Nashville 4-3 in a shootout at Bridgestone Arena on 27 October 2026. - Varlamov stopped 20 of 23 shots, then denied Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg in the shootout. - Anthony Duclair, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat built a 3-0 lead before Nashville tied it 3-3. - Schenn scored his 300th NHL goal, and Matthew Schaefer played all five minutes of overtime. ## Key points - Semyon Varlamov earned his first NHL win since 14 November 2024, ending a 712-day wait. - The Islanders beat Nashville 4-3 in a shootout at Bridgestone Arena on 27 October 2026. - Varlamov stopped 20 of 23 shots, then denied Ryan O'Reilly and Filip Forsberg in the shootout. - Anthony Duclair, Brayden Schenn and Bo Horvat built a 3-0 lead before Nashville tied it 3-3. - Schenn scored his 300th NHL goal, and Matthew Schaefer played all five minutes of overtime. # 712 Days Later, Varlamov Wins Again NASHVILLE — Semyon Varlamov did not rush the moment. When Bo Horvat's shootout goal settled the New York Islanders' 4-3 win over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, Varlamov's teammates poured off the bench and enveloped their goaltender in the crease at Bridgestone Arena. It was a celebration 712 days in the making. Varlamov's NHL victory had come on 14 November 2024. Since then, he had undergone partial knee replacements on both knees and faced the widespread expectation that his career was over. On Tuesday, he stopped 20 of 23 shots, then stopped both Nashville attempts in the shootout. "It's an amazing feeling. A very special moment," Varlamov said. "A year ago, to be honest with you, I didn't see this coming. It was such a grind the last two years to get to this point, where you have an opportunity to play and compete at the highest level in the world. I'm very thankful for this opportunity. I just want to thank everybody who was involved in my rehab, the surgery and everything. I'm very, very proud of everybody." The result was the Islanders' first win in Nashville since 28 October 2017, ending an 0-4-3 run there since that date. It lifted New York to 6-4-2 and snapped a two-game winless run after a 6-3 loss in Dallas on Sunday. Nashville fell to 4-3-5. ## A Lead Built, Then Lost ![Matthew Schaefer during warmups for the New York Islanders against Washington on 2 February 2026 — file photo, not from the Nashville game.](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1793244405335-xbsu9u-other-inside1-2026-10-29-morning.jpg) Anthony Duclair gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 3:07 of the first period, tipping in a centering pass from Jean-Gabriel Pageau while the teams skated four-on-four. Brayden Schenn made it 2-0 at 8:07, finishing a backhanded tap-in after Ondrej Palat fed him at the back post. The goal was Schenn's 300th in the NHL, making him the eighth player from the 2009 draft class to reach that mark. Bo Horvat extended the lead to 3-0 1:08 into the second period, one-timing a cross-ice feed from teenage defenceman Matthew Schaefer. Nashville refused to go quietly. Filip Forsberg scored on the power play at 9:42 of the second period, Alexander Kerfoot made it 3-2 at 13:02, and Ryan O'Reilly completed the comeback at 4:16 of the third. "The start of the game wasn't where we wanted to be," Nashville coach Andrew Brunette said. "All in all, I liked the grit and resilience to come back." O'Reilly was blunter: "It definitely took us a little too long to get going. That game was very winnable." ## Varlamov Holds Firm When It Matters ![Bridgestone Arena in Nashville during the 2017 Stanley Cup Final — file photo of the venue, not from the 27 October 2026 game.](https://dcwdppdscydjemfvownz.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/media/api/1793244408427-mehsgh-other-inside2-2026-10-29-morning.jpg) Varlamov stopped Nashville's five shots in regulation. He denied Forsberg on a Predators power play in the third period to keep the game tied at 3-3, a stop that proved decisive when neither side scored in overtime. In the shootout, Varlamov showed savvy. He poke-checked the puck away from O'Reilly on Nashville's first attempt and forced Forsberg wide on the second. At the other end, Kyle Palmieri scored the game-deciding goal and Horvat also converted, giving New York the extra point without needing a third round. "I'm just so happy for (Varlamov)," Horvat said. "It's been a long time coming, and he's been playing well up to this point, and to finally see him get that win the way he did, making big saves and pulling through for him, it definitely feels good for us." Islanders coach Peter DeBoer agreed. "He was huge when we needed him to be," DeBoer said. "He's building his game. After missing all that time, I think every night that we've rolled him out there, he's been a little bit better and a little bit more comfortable. He was our best player tonight." ## The Long Road Back Varlamov, 38, had been 0-1-2 in his three previous starts this season. He played two conditioning games with Bridgeport of the American Hockey League at the end of last season, winning both with a .939 save percentage. Afterwards, he received both Islanders player-of-the-game awards — the team oar and the hard-working hat. "The last two years was a real grind and I went through some tough times and thought I might be not able to be back," Varlamov said. "But I kept pushing myself every day a little harder and keep doing things you do and can control." "It took me a long time, but I'm glad this organization, Mathieu Darche, the GM and coaching staff and the ownership gave me this opportunity," he added. "I'm very thankful, and I appreciate that they believed in me and gave me this chance. So I'm just humble and very, very thankful." Darche, the Islanders' general manager, had called Varlamov's return "almost a miracle" at the start of this season. Tuesday gave that description a victory to go with it. The win was his 77th with New York, tying Roland Melanson for eighth on the franchise list. ## Schaefer's Night for the Record Books Schaefer played all five minutes of overtime, becoming the first skater on record to do so since real-time time-on-ice data began being officially tracked in 2009-10. The shift set an Islanders record, beating the previous mark of 4:50 set by Casey Cizikas on 9 March 2023. Schaefer, 19, finished with a career-high 32:16 of ice time and extended his point streak to five games. He also became the seventh defenceman in league history to record at least 70 points as a teenager. "He was all over the ice tonight, like he is every night," DeBoer said. "He wants to make a difference every shift. That's what's so special about him." New York heads to St. Paul on Thursday. Varlamov, after 712 days, is a winner again. Mentions: Semyon Varlamov, New York Islanders, Nashville Predators, Bo Horvat, Anthony Duclair, Brayden Schenn, Matthew Schaefer, Ryan O'Reilly, Filip Forsberg, Alexander Kerfoot, Kyle Palmieri, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Ondrej Palat, Jonathan Marchessault, Peter DeBoer, Andrew Brunette, Mathieu Darche, Roland Melanson, Casey Cizikas, Bridgeport Islanders, Bridgestone Arena, NHL ## Sources - [nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/news/new-york-islanders-nashville-predators-game-recap-october-27-2026) - [nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/varlamov-earns-oar-and-hardworking-helmet-after-first-win-in-nearly-two-years) - [nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/the-skinny-islanders-4-predators-3-so-oct-28-2026) - [nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/takeaways-varlamov-leads-isles-to-4-3-shootout-win-in-nashville) - [nypost.com](https://nypost.com/2026/10/27/sports/islanders-nip-predators-in-ot-to-give-semyon-varlamov-first-win-since-2024/)