Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox lift Rangers to win in first meeting with Seattle Kraken
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin makes a save against a shot from Kraken center Riley Sheahan during the first period of an NHL game on Sunday in Seattle. Credit: AP/Lindsey Wasson
SEATTLE — Igor Shesterkin didn’t get an assist on the play, but he sure deserved one.
The goaltender had been brilliant all night, the only reason the Rangers were even in the game, really. Midway through the third period, a turnover inside the blue line quickly turned into a one-on-one opportunity for Seattle Kraken forward Brandon Tanev against Shesterkin, from just outside the goal crease. He kicked out his left pad to make another unlikely save.
Eleven seconds later, Adam Fox scored on a wrist shot at 12:10 to break a tie and send the Rangers to a 3-1 win Sunday night at Climate Pledge Arena in their first-ever meeting with the expansion Kraken.
"It’s very repetitive when we talk about it; we can sing his praises for days,’’ Fox said of Shesterkin. "But I mean, he keeps us in every game . . . It’s a tie game, and he keeps it that way, and obviously we get one. So, you know, I can’t say enough good things about him.’’
Fox scored on the Rangers’ 13th shot on goal. They were outshot 32-18 and had only two shots in the second period. If not for Shesterkin, the Rangers likely would have been blown out of the building.
"He was unbelievable,’’ said Barclay Goodrow, who scored an empty-net goal with 1:39 remaining. "He is, I think, the sole factor in how we won that game. Especially in that second period, I think we’re in our end the whole period [the Rangers were outshot 13-2 in the second] and he kept us in it. He’s done that a lot of games so far this season.’’
"How many times has he done that?’’ Rangers coach Gerard Gallant asked rhetorically. "Two or three, for sure. He was outstanding.’’
Gallant was asked, "How many times can he do that?"
"Well, what have we got, 70-some games?’’ he quipped.
"I thought we came out and played a great first 10 minutes,’’ Gallant said. "That was a great road period . . . And then the next 30 minutes was awful. And Igor stole the show again.’’
The Rangers (6-2-1) did get off to a great start, taking the lead on a goal at 3:38 of the first period by the red-hot Chris Kreider, who cranked a shot past Seattle goalie Philipp Grubauer for his seventh goal of the season and his third in two games.
The Rangers had their way for the first half of the period. Kreider had a chance to give the Rangers a two-goal lead when he had a breakaway midway through the opening period, but Grubauer made the save on that one.
Sometime after that, the momentum shifted, and the Kraken started to take control. It may have happened around the time that Fox left the game briefly after taking a spill in front of his own net. He missed a couple of shifts, returned before the period was over and said after the game that he is fine.
In one sequence in the second period, Shesterkin lost his stick and was forced to make three saves as the Kraken kept the Rangers pinned in the zone and under pressure.
Seattle got on the board at 13:46 on a goal by former Islander Jordan Eberle, who whipped a spinning backhand shot over Shesterkin’s glove from the right-wing circle.
The win kicked off a four-game road trip that will take the Rangers to Vancouver on Tuesday and Edmonton and Calgary on the weekend. They have won five straight on the road and five straight in their first game against expansion teams.
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.
More Rangers
