Two teams with plenty in common, from their attention to defensive details to a four-line balance, so far have both had the most crucial element to playoff success in hot goalies.
But in Monday night’s Game 1, the Islanders’ Semyon Varlamov was sharper than the Flyers’ Carter Hart, 10 years his junior at 22. So the Islanders finally pulled away with three goals in the third period – two against Hart –to take the opener of their best-of-seven, second-round series, 4-0, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
Varlamov made 29 saves for his second straight playoff shutout, after blanking the Capitals, 4-0, on 21 saves in the clinching Game 5 of that first-round series.