Confidence has never slipped with Shesterkin

NEW YORK — The ups-anddowns of Igor Shesterkin were well-chronicled throughout the Rangers-penguins first-round series.

Except, to the Rangers, there were no ups and there were no downs. There was only the same Hart and Vezina Trophy-finalist goalie who backstopped them all the way to Sunday night’s Game 7 at Madison Square Garden through a 110-point regular season that gave them their first true NHL playoff berth since 2017, and then from the brink of a 3-1 series deficit against the Penguins. (Game 7 wasn’t over in time for this edition. For the result and story, go to courant. com/sports.)

The same netminder who is expected to anchor the Rangers to multiple playoff appearances, not just a cameo this season.

“He’s still the same Igor,” fellow Russian Artemi Panarin said. “It’s playoffs. People shoot the puck and try to tip these pucks, so it’s hard to react sometimes. But he’s in great shape, so we have full confidence in him, and he has full confidence in himself.”

Shesterkin got the Rangers to their first Game 7 since 2015 — a 2-0 loss to the Lightning that kept the Rangers from back-to-back trips to the Stanley Cup Final — with a 31-save performance in Friday night’s 5-3 win in Pittsburgh. That was preceded by a 29-save performance in Wednesday’s 5-3 win in Game 5 at the Garden.

Both times, the Rangers rallied from 2-0 deficits. Both times, Shesterkin kept the Penguins from scoring in the third period, stopping a combined 23 shots. He turned aside all eight shots he faced in Friday’s third period, rendering the derisive “I-gor, I-gor” chants moot after seemingly being rattled during the first two games in Pittsburgh.

“That’s Igor,” Chris Kreider said. “He’s a competitor. He’s done it all year for us. He’s done it at every level he’s played at. He battles, that’s what he does. He’s been our best player all year, and he continues to be our best player.”

The Penguins’ home fans targeted Shesterkin for their derision even before he was pulled from starts in Games 3 and 4 in Pittsburgh, allowing a combined 10 goals in his three periods.

Shesterkin may not resemble the goalie who led the NHL with both a 2.07 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage — he entered Game 7 with a 3.82 GAA and .906 save percentage in his playoff starts — but he’s done exactly what Kreider described: battled.

And despite the outside perception, there haven’t been ups and downs because Shesterkin hasn’t allowed himself to ride that roller coaster.