Rangers keep winning but need to tighten up defensively
Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers defends the net in the second period against Brandon Tanev of the Kraken at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 10. Credit: Jim McIsaac
EDMONTON, Alberta – There was no question that, overall, the Rangers weren’t very good Wednesday in their sloppy 6-4 victory over the Canucks in Vancouver. Everybody said so afterward.
But on nights when the team isn’t tight defensively and is giving up too many good scoring chances, Igor Shesterkin usually comes to the rescue, making brilliant stops that save the Rangers from themselves.
And on Wednesday, he really didn’t.
Vancouver, which started a goalie making his NHL debut in Arturs Silovs, kept falling behind but managed to stay in the game because Shesterkin allowed four goals on 29 shots, giving up goals both times the Rangers were shorthanded. Every time it seemed the Rangers appeared about to pull away, the Canucks would get a goal that brought them back in it.
The last one came on a wrist shot from the top of the slot by Andrei Kuzmenko at 8:51 of the third period to pull the Canucks within 5-4. That one made it a game until Mika Zibanejad secured the result with his second goal of the night, scoring into an empty net with 1:34 remaining.
Coach Gerard Gallant said that while the entire team wasn’t sharp, Shesterkin also hasn’t gotten a lot of work lately. Since starting three games in a row from Jan. 19-25, he played only three games in 21 days, not counting the work he got at the NHL’s All-Star Weekend (Feb. 3-4).
“No, definitely,’’ Gallant said when asked if Shesterkin might need more regular work. “I mean, we had the All-Star break, and a lot of time off. Goalies like to stay in a rhythm. So, definitely.’’
Shesterkin has given up 10 goals in his last three starts and posted a save percentage of .880. He won all three (two against Vancouver), largely because the Rangers have scored 16 goals in the three games. In fact, in their current six-game winning streak, the Rangers have scored 31 goals, more than five per game.
“We're obviously scoring a lot of goals [and] we're winning games,’’ said Zibanejad, who has scored in five straight games. “We're trying to find a message where we don't have to sacrifice offense to play . . . better defensively. But at the same time, now we think just clean it up a little bit and we're still going to get our chances.’’
The Rangers will close the road trip with back-to-back games Friday and Saturday in Edmonton and Calgary, and Gallant must decide how to deploy his two goaltenders, Shesterkin and Jaro Halak, who has won his last seven starts.
Will Gallant send Shesterkin right back in the crease Friday to stare down Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers, whose 205 goals scored leads the league? Or would he prefer to play him against the middling Flames, whom Halak beat in overtime in a crazy game last week at the Garden?
Shesterkin has one career appearance against Edmonton, on Nov. 26 at the Garden. The Rangers led 3-0 entering the third period but lost, 4-3, in regulation. He is 0-2 with a 5.50 goals-against average and .851 save percentage against the Flames.
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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