Varlamov’s 676-Day Return Ends in Rangers Win as Lafrenière Buries Two Empty-Net Goals

The New York Rangers turned what looked like a comfortable 5-2 win over the New York Islanders into something that nearly stayed tight for longer. Inside Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, the scoreline suggested separation, but according to the account of the game, it was effectively a 3-2 contest until Alexis Lafrenière scored not one, but two empty-net goals to close things out.

For the Islanders, the night carried a major personal milestone: Semyon Varlamov made what was described as his first start in 676 days. The return mattered beyond the result, because it placed a veteran starting goalie back in the lineup after a long absence, a reminder of how quickly roles can change in the NHL and how much teams rely on stability in net.

From the Rangers’ perspective, the finish was the difference-maker. Even with the game swinging in the late stages, the Rangers ensured the Islanders could not build momentum back into the game by converting on extra-attacker opportunities. Lafrenière’s two empty-net goals were reported as the swing that turned a narrow edge into a final score that left little room for debate.

The way the game unfolded also highlighted the NHL’s late-game arithmetic. Once a team trails and pulls its goalie for the extra skater, the contest becomes a race against turnovers and clearing lapses, and empty-net goals are often the quickest way to extinguish a comeback. In this case, Lafrenière’s finishing made the Rangers’ defensive stand feel decisive rather than merely adequate.

Beyond the two points, the night raised immediate questions for the Islanders about what comes next after a high-profile return start. While Varlamov’s timeline is unusual, the broader point is that the goaltending picture can shift abruptly from one season to the next, and teams often calibrate their plans around who is available, who is playing, and who can manage the late-game pressure that shows up with regularity in games decided by one goal.

For New York’s teams, attention will now turn to continuity. The Rangers will want to build on a performance that closed out a potentially one-goal game, while the Islanders will look to convert more of their own scoring chances into sustained leads rather than letting opponents reach the stage where empty-net conversions become the separator. The next test will be whether the competitive feel that existed before the final two empty-net goals can be maintained against their next opponents.