ISLANDERS 4 - FLYERS 0
NYI Lead Series 1-0
No team in hockey, let alone sports right now, seems to be hotter than the New York Islanders. The Isles won for the sixth time in their last seven playoff games, earning a 4-0 shutout of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semi's. It was the second straight 4-0 victory for the Isles who won by that identical score in the series clincher against Washington.
The Islanders were led in net by Semyon Varlamov, who shut down the Flyers on 29 shots for his second straight shutout. He has not allowed a goal since Game 5 against the Capitals. Overall, Varlamov has posted a record of 7-2 in these playoffs with a 1.67 Goals Against Average, which is almost a whole goal less than what he allowed during the regular season.
For a while offensively Andy Greene's first period goal was all the scoring in Game 1 as Varlamov made it stand up. By the third period, the Isles finally gave their netminder the support he needed.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau's fifth goal of the playoffs pushed New York in front 2-0, roughly three minutes into the third period. Six minutes later Andres Lee tallied his fourth goal of the playoffs on an assist by Matthew Brazel and Jordan Eberle to make it 3-0.
Finally Devon Toews nailed the unassisted goal late in the period to cap the scoring off at 4-0.
After a day off Tuesday, the surging Islanders will play Game 2 against Philadelphia from the Toronto bubble.
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