With break over, it's big workload ahead for Igor Shesterkin
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin hydrates during a break in the second period of an NHL game against the Kraken at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 30. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Igor Shesterkin went to Miami over the NHL All Star Break and got some well-earned rest and relaxation. If he had a complaint, it would have been that 10 days off between the Rangers’ last game before the break, and their first practice coming out of it, was a tad too long.
"Maybe it's too much,’’ he said Monday. "I think one week is good.’’
Well, the rest period is over now. On Tuesday, the Rangers started the post-All-Star break portion of their season, a 35-game sprint to the finish as they chase their first playoff appearance in five years, with a game at Madison Square Garden against the Boston Bruins. And Shesterkin, the Rangers’ No. 1 goaltender, figures to be in line to play a lot of games over the season’s last two-and-a-half months.
The Rangers — 30-13-4 entering Tuesday — were to play their final 35 games over 74 days, with just five sets of back-to-back games remaining. Assuming Shesterkin doesn’t play both ends of some back-to-backs, he could theoretically start as many of 30 of the Rangers’ last 35 games, though coach Gerard Gallant refused to speculate on how much he’ll turn to his No. 1 goalie down the stretch.
"I'm not concerned about that, honestly,’’ Gallant said Monday, when asked how many games he thought Shesterkin might play. "Things change, day-to-day, in our business. So I'm worried about [Tuesday's] game. I'm not worried about Igor playing 30 games, or 35 games or 15 games. I'm worried about getting a good goalie in the net for the next 35. So it's not about Igor; it's not about ‘Georgie’ [Alexandar Georgiev]. It's about winning hockey games, and playing those who are ready to go.’’
As long as he’s healthy, Shesterkin should be ready to go most nights.
"I feel pretty good,’’ he said. "We have a goal, meaning to make the playoff games. And we just need to keep going. Show our game. Every game is important.’’
When asked how many games he’d like to play down the stretch, Shesterkin deferred to Gallant.
"I don't know,’’ he said. "You need to ask the head coach.’’
A fourth-round pick in the 2014 draft, Shesterkin is having the best season of his three-year NHL career. After posting goals-against average totals of 2.52 and 2.62 per game, and save percentages of .932 and .916 in his first two seasons, he entered Tuesday’s game with a 22-5-2 record, with three shutouts, a 2.10 goals-against average, and a .937 save percentage. His save percentage was tops in the league among goaltenders who’ve started at least half their team’s games, and his GAA was second, behind Carolina’s Frederik Andersen (2.04).
Also, Shesterkin’s 22 wins in 29 appearances (28 starts) represented the highest win percentage (.7586) of any goalie with more than 10 appearances. Anderson, with 25 wins in 33 appearances (.7575) was right behind. And in advanced stats, Shesterkin has a Goals Saved Above Average number of 25.69, according to the hockey analytics site Natural Stat Trick. Nashville’s Juuse Saros is second with a GSAA of 19.85, and Andersen was third with 17.97.
Somehow, Shesterkin didn’t make the Metropolitan Division roster for the All-Star Game. But most observers expect that when it comes time to vote for the Vezina Trophy for the league’s best goaltender, the 26-year-old Moscow native will be on the short list of potential winners, if not the favorite.
Shesterkin was asked if he listens to the talk that he could win the Vezina. He dismissed the question by joking, "I don’t speak English very well.’’
Everyone laughed. In his case, the language doesn’t matter, because the numbers are enough to tell the story.
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.
