Rangers coach David Quinn won't divulge plans for goalie usage
Rangers head coach David Quinn at practice on July 17, 2020. Credit: Nick Homler/NY Rangers/Nick Homler
GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Back to practice after Monday’s day off, Rangers coach David Quinn hinted that he and his staff made some decisions Monday regarding their plan for how to use their goaltenders for the team’s play-in series against the Carolina Hurricanes. He just wasn’t willing to share those decisions.
“We talked about a variety of things [Monday],’’ Quinn said. “I don't know if I'm gonna open the vault and tell you everything that we talked about.’’
Pressed of the goaltending situation, he said, “there’s a clarity on where everything is right now — not that there wasn’t before.’’
He said he talked to all three goaltenders — Igor Shesterkin, Henrik Lundqvist and Alexandar Georgiev — to let them know where things stand in the goaltending competition.
“All three of them were good,’’ he said. “We’re in a good spot in the net.’’
Shesterkin (10-2, with a 2.52 goals-against average and .932 save percentage on the season) was the No. 1 goaltender when play was halted March 12 because of the coronavirus. But Lundqvist has dominated the Hurricanes in his career, posting a 33-12-1 record, with a 2.00 GAA and .934 save percentage against them lifetime, including 3-0, with a 2.33 GAA and .947 save percentage this season.
Buchnevich returns
Forward Pavel Buchnevich, who left Saturday’s practice early and missed Sunday’s full-squad scrimmage, was back at practice Tuesday as the team returned following Monday’s day off…Quinn said the Rangers were not surprised when the NHL on Monday announced a two-game suspension for Brendan Lemieux for his illegal hit on Colorado’s Joonas Donskoi in March 11. “We kind of anticipated something along those lines,’’ he said…Three players, Ds Libor Hajek and K’Andre Miller, and RW Steven Fogarty were called up from the taxi squad to join the main practice group. Miller, the 2018 first round pick who signed with the team in March, is not eligible to play when the NHL restarts August 1.
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.
