The New York Rangers were forced to go to their backup Friday night after Igor Shesterkin exited with a lower-body injury against the Washington Capitals.
Shesterkin appeared to get hurt on a scramble in the crease midway through the second period. He stayed down while trainers checked on him, then was helped off the ice by teammates without putting any weight on his right leg.
Dylan Garand stepped in from there, taking over in goal for the rest of the game. Shesterkin’s night ended after he stopped 13 of 14 shots in 28:20 of ice time.
The injury cut short a season that had started strong for the 30-year-old. Entering Friday, he was 3-1-0 with a .926 save percentage, 1.75 goals against average and 4.1 goals saved above expected across four appearances.
Shesterkin had also just made Rangers history last week, becoming the first goalie in franchise history to score a goal in a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Now in his eighth NHL season, the Moscow native has built a strong body of work in New York. He is 190-108-28 with a .917 save percentage and 2.51 goals against average in 329 career appearances.
His best season came in 2021-22, when he captured the Vezina Trophy after going 36-13-4 with a .935 save percentage and 2.07 goals against average in 53 games.
In the postseason, Shesterkin has gone 23-20 with a .928 save percentage and 2.41 goals against average in 44 career Stanley Cup Playoff games. That mark gives him the highest save percentage in the playoffs among active NHL goaltenders.
The Rangers selected Shesterkin in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He spent five more seasons in Russia before making his North American debut in 2019-20.
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Igor Shesterkins night against the Capitals ended abruptly when the Rangers No. 1 goaltender had to leave with a lower-body injury and did not return, a scary development for a team that has leaned heavily on him. Dylan Garand stepped in and handled the workload after Shesterkin exited, giving New York at least a steady stopgap while the bench waited for word on the starters condition.
The concern goes beyond one game because the Rangers are already dealing with injuries in goal, which has thinned out their options at a position that rarely allows for much margin. New York is still waiting for a fuller update on Shesterkin, and with another game looming, the teams depth chart could be pushed into uncomfortable territory if he is not available. [Read more 🡒]
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