Shesterkin helps make Rangers a serious contender
Igor Shesterkin has stopped 94 of the 101 shots he has faced so far in the playoffs and his play in net is a big reason the New York Rangers rolled through the first round and look like a Stanley Cup contender.
Says Shesterkin: “I could play better.”
“I can do less rebounds, play more confident with the puck and in the net, too,” Shesterkin added.
Up next for the Rangers are the Carolina Hurricanes in the second round.
The humble assessment from the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner as the league’s top goaltender was no surprise to teammates, who have seen him make one improbable save after another.
Just from the opening series against Washington there was a post-to-post robbery of Max Pacioretty, a lunging stop to prevent Alex Ovechkin from scoring and countless others that allowed the Rangers to sweep.
“He can steal any game, really, (that) he wants to,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “We know what we have back there. We don’t want to rely on him. But when we do have breakdowns and mistakes, I think we have complete trust that he’s there to have our backs.”
Coach Peter Laviolette sees a goalie who “seems to be tracking everything really well,” seeing the whole rink and having good awareness of what’s going on around him beyond the puck.
Backup Jonathan Quick, the 2012 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP in his first of two Cup runs with Los Angeles, appreciates the work Shesterkin has put in to be in the right position.
“Everyone sees the saves and how great he is athletically and stuff like that,” Quick said. “But I think the part that stands out to me always is his ability to read plays, read what’s going to happen.”
Trouba often finds himself looking up at arena video screens to watch replays of saves by Shesterkin that make him go, “Wow, he got over there.”
Fellow defenceman K’andre Miller is still surprised by the 28-year-old Russian’s spectacular stops and consistent play.
“He’s done a great job of just proving why he’s been the best at what he does,” Miller said.
“He also pushes us to be the best we can.”
Asked how good the Rangers can be and how deep they could go, Shesterkin said only, “We will see.”
The real answer is almost certainly how far he can carry them.