Varlamov turned aside 32 of 37 shots Tuesday in a 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes in Game 5 of the Islanders' first-round series, with Carolina's final goal getting scored into an empty net.
With their season on the line, the Isles came out flat and were down 2-0 before the four-minute mark in the first period. While Varlamov played well enough to allow his team to rally and tie things up by the second intermission, the third period belonged to Carolina. The veteran netminder posted a 2.70 GAA and .914 save percentage in his five playoff appearances, numbers very similar to his 2.60 GAA and .918 save percentage during the regular season. Barring a trade, he'll return to man the crease in Long Island in 2024-25 alongside Ilya Sorokin.