Rangers coach David Quinn holds off on naming starting goalie against Islanders
Rangers coach David Quinn of the Rangers stands behind the bench during the team's game against the Washington Capitals on Feb. 4. Credit: AP/Bruce Bennett
In his three seasons as the Rangers’ coach, David Quinn generally hasn’t had a problem identifying his starting goaltender for the next game. This time, though, he decided his goalie choice for Monday’s game against the Islanders at the Garden is classified information.
"We’ll find out about it tomorrow night,’’ Quinn said after the Rangers practiced Sunday. "It isn’t an easy [decision], I’ll tell you that. Shesty [Igor Shesterkin], obviously, is on a little bit of a roll; Georgie [Alexandar Georgiev] hasn’t played in a little while, and he’s played very well against the Islanders. So the decision is made. It was about 51-49, so there wasn’t one 100%-clear decision.’’
In making the choice, Quinn and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire had to weigh whether Georgiev’s dominance over the Islanders gives the Rangers a better chance to win their third straight game than Shesterkin’s improved play of late.
Shesterkin, who didn’t play well in the season-opening loss to the Islanders on Jan. 14, has won his last three starts, including the last two games in a row, over the Penguins and Capitals. After he struggled in his first three starts, his numbers have stabilized (3-2-1 with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage).
As the Rangers look to establish a successor to Henrik Lundqvist, the time might be right to keep riding Shesterkin for a while and try to get him on an extended roll.
Georgiev, though, has had uncanny success against the Islanders, who are coming off a win Saturday over the Penguins and who have the same record as the Rangers (4-4-2). Georgiev’s numbers this season (1-2-1, 3.27, .886) have not been inspiring, but his one win came against the Islanders, a 5-0 decision in the second game of the season. He is 6-2 with a 1.80 GAA, a .941 save percentage and two shutouts against the Islanders.
Georgiev last played Jan. 30, when the Rangers lost to the Penguins, 5-4, in overtime. The day before, Quinn had announced he planned to alternate his goalies for a while in an attempt to get both of them going. But after that loss to the Penguins, Georgiev reportedly was involved in a physical altercation with defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who was waived the next day.
Georgiev backed up Shesterkin in the next game, a 3-1 Rangers win. Then Quinn decided to abandon his goalie rotation and start Shesterkin in the next game, a 4-2 win over the Capitals on Thursday.
Notes & quotes: Quinn inadvertently revealed that F Kevin Rooney had COVID at the beginning of training camp, then tried to walk it back. "Did I say that? I don’t know, I might have said that,’’ he said. "He got sick.’’ . . . D Brendan Smith, who missed Thursday’s game with an upper-body injury suffered Monday, practiced Sunday while wearing a green no-contact jersey.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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