The New York Rangers‘ most important player went down Monday night.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin exited the game with what coach Mike Sullivan called a “lower-body injury” in New York’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth at Madison Square Garden.
Shesterkin is one of the frontrunners to win the Vezina Trophy for the second time in his career and has kept New York afloat with a .912 save% and 2.47 goals-against average. He leads the NHL in games played (34), minutes and goals-saved above average at 5-on-5 (17.65) and ranks second behind only Jacob Wallstedt of the Minnesota Wild in GSAA at all situations this season (14.81) according to Natural Stat Trick.
The Rangers fell for the fourth time in their past five games and are tied with the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres for 10th in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. But they also are tied with the Detroit Red Wings for most games played in the NHL (44).
Igor Shesterkin Sustained A Lower-Body Injury
Shesterkin went down midway through the first period after appearing to catch his knee in a rut in the ice after he made a save on Mammoth forward Dylan Guenther at the 7:06 mark of the frame.
Shesterkin stayed down, beating the ice with his blocker in pain. Utah forward JJ Peterka was initially thought to have run into Shesterkin, and members of the Rangers engaged with Peterka to protect Shesterkin — though Peterka did not appear to even make contact with the all-world Rangers goalie.
“We don’t want him to get hurt. He’s an important part of this team,” Sullivan said. “And hopefully it’s not too serious. I don’t have an answer for you, because, obviously, they’re going to do more tests. But right now, he’s being evaluated.”
The Rangers Can Ill Afford To Lose Igor Shesterkin
Shesterkin finished third in Hart Trophy voting in 2022, the year where he ran away with the Vezina Trophy and helped the Rangers reach the Eastern Conference Final before falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Two seasons later, he finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting while helping the Rangers again reach the league’s final four in 2024, before they fell to the Florida Panthers. Last season, Shesterkin led the NHL in saves (1,584) and was one of the bright spots on an awful year.
Perhaps no other team relies on its goalie moreso than the Rangers, and Shesterkin is effectively holding New York afloat at the season’s halfway point.
Simply read the quotes from his teammates to see the level of concern about Shesterkin’s injury if it is a long-term thing.
“It’s not good to see anyone go down, but obviously him and what he’s done for us and how much he means for us,” forward Mika Zibanejad said. “That’s not a good sight.”
“You never want to see a guy go down, especially when it’s your goaltender, who is world class,” center Vincent Trocheck said.
The Rangers are 27th in goals scored (114), and it’s hard to imagine 39-year-old Jonathan Quick doing what Shesterkin does, even though he has a .919 save% in 11 games.
“There are certain guys that drive your team and [Shesterkin’s] one of them for us,’’ Sullivan said. “He’s an elite player at his position. I think he’s one of the very best in the game. Those types of players are difficult to replace.’’
Rangers Lose Crucial Player To Lower-Body Injury In OT Loss