Bussi Outduels Varlamov on Long Island
Carolina won 5-3 in New York, but this was not a night where the better team simply pulled away. The Islanders actually had the more dangerous looks, and the difference was the goalie at the other end.
The two teams were dead even in total shot attempts, 63 apiece. The Islanders' chances were worth 4.54 expected goals (how many goals their looks would normally produce). They scored 3. Brandon Bussi made 24 saves on 27 shots, including 13 of 15 from the most dangerous areas. That works out to 1.54 goals saved above expected, meaning he stopped about a goal and a half more than a typical goalie would have.
At the other end, Semyon Varlamov saw far more pucks and made 34 saves on 38 shots, but he could not match Bussi's night.
Andrei Svechnikov led the Carolina attack with a goal, an assist and a team-high 7 shots. He played on a line with Sebastian Aho and William Carrier, and all three finished with two points. Defenceman Jalen Chatfield added a goal and an assist in 23 minutes of ice time.
Neither power play scored, and no shots hit the iron. Carolina got more pucks on net, the Islanders got the better looks, and Bussi was the reason Carolina still came out ahead.
