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Semyon Varlamov stopped 27 shots for his 29th career shutout, Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored at 4:09 to play and the New York Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 1-0 in their opener at home at the Nassau Coliseum on Monday.
Adam Pelech took a left point shot and Boston’s Patrice Bergeron deflected the puck into the air. Pageau hit him in front of Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask to put the Islanders on the scoreboard.
“It was a great look from Pelly, who brought the puck to the net,” said Pageau. “I think his puck could have gone in, I have a stick on it just to be sure. It was a great effort throughout the game.
Varlamov, who missed Saturday’s game against Rangers after removing a puck from his neck during pre-game warm-ups, got his second shutout in two starts this season. He made 24 saves in a 4-0 win over Rangers last Thursday.
“I’m going to take back-to-back shutouts, I’m not going to lie,” Varlamov said. “I’m pretty happy today. But this is only the start of the year, lots of games to come. We played well today and I’m happy to have scored the important goal at the end.
Varlamov stopped back-to-back chances by Nick Ritchie with about a minute left to keep the Bruins off the scoreboard.
“I thought early on that he was one of the main reasons we had won tonight,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said of his goalie. “He made some really good saves against a very good hockey team. He just calmed our game down, gave us a chance. In the second half, we got our feet moving and started to play more on our identity.
It was a big rebound victory for the Islanders, following a 5-0 loss to Rangers two nights earlier.
Rask, who had beaten the Islanders in seven of his last eight starts against them, stopped 16 shots for the Bruins in the final of their season-opener three-game trip. Boston won in a shootout, then lost in OT in games in New Jersey.
“We’re early in the season and we’re playing really well,” said Rask. “Just stick to it and don’t drag your head. Hard rebound. This is how it is sometimes.
It was the Islanders’ first home game since March 7, when they lost 3-2 in overtime to Carolina at the Nassau Coliseum. With no fans present this time due to the coronavirus pandemic, there were cardboard cutouts in the stands and noise from the crowd was pumped over the speakers.
“We’re used to it,” Pelech said. “It’s a shame because we all like to play in this building when it’s full of fans. But at this point we’re used to it and it looks like that’s how it’s going to be.
Islanders’ Mathew Barzal fired a shot off the crossbar on a power play within two minutes of the third. Anthony Beauvillier was denied by Rask with a right pad stoppage near the middle of the period.
After a first period in which they had few scoring opportunities, the Islanders picked up the pace in the second and outscored Boston 7-6. However, Varlamov and Rask did not let anything go.
The Bruins beat the Islanders 11-3 in the first period. New York had two shots on goal in the opening 2:19, but didn’t get another before Nick Leddy’s shot with 33 seconds left.
Boston’s David Krejci took a shot from the crossbar with 4 1/2 minutes left in the opening period.
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