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Islanders top Rangers in exhibition matchup as Semyon Varlamov makes claim for starting spot in goal

The high-tempo pace coach Barry Trotz wanted to see out of the Islanders’ lone exhibition game before their NHL season restarts was there. And Semyon Varlamov surely seems to have secured the spot as No. 1 goalie.

The Islanders beat the Rangers, 2-1, on Wednesday night at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. They open their best-of-five qualifying series against the Panthers on Saturday afternoon and, before then, Trotz will likely want to work with his team on putting the puck on net with a little more frequency.

The Rangers outshot them, 27-22, and the Islanders went 0-for-5 on the power play with just four man-advantage shots.