The New York Rangers had a 10-game point streak snapped when they lost at home to the Winnipeg Jets on Feb. 19. Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin allowed four goals on 21 shots while Connor Hellebuyck put on a show, stopping 50 of 51 shots. Despite New York’s strong play since the All-Star Break, Shesterkin is slumping.
Shesterkin carried the Rangers for most of last season, consistently stealing wins for them in games when they allowed more chances than they created. However, over the last few weeks, the opposite has happened. He has allowed too many soft goals but the team’s impressive play has allowed them to outscore opponents and continue winning games. They do not need him to play at the spectacular level he played at last season but they do need him to step up and start playing better.
Shesterkin’s Play This Season
It is unfair for anyone to expect Shesterkin to replicate what he did last season when he led the NHL with an absurd .935 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.07 goals-against average (GAA) in the regular season. He followed that up with a .929 SV% in the postseason and helped the Rangers make a run to the Eastern Conference Final.
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Shesterkin has still played well for the majority of this season, just not as well as he did last year. He had a 10-4-3 record with a .912 SV% at the end of November. He came up with some clutch saves late in games but he was not as sharp as he usually is. The Rangers did not play well early this season, getting off to an 11-10-5 start but they have played much better since then.
The Rangers’ turnaround coincided with Shesterkin playing better, along with veteran backup goalie Jaroslav Halak snapping out of an early slump. Shesterkin went 11-4-4 with a .922 SV% in December and January, including a six-game winning streak in early December. On Dec. 9, he played one of his best games of the season, stopping 41 of 42 shots as well as both shootout attempts he faced in a 2-1 victory against the Colorado Avalanche.
Just like last season, Shesterkin read plays very well during that stretch and controlled rebounds on shots through traffic. His excellent puck handling also helped take some pressure off the Rangers’ defensemen.
Shesterkin’s Play Since the All-Star Break
While the Rangers continued to play well after returning from the All-Star Break, Shesterkin struggled. In his first game back on Feb. 8, he let in a bad goal after he thought the play would be blown dead for icing. It cut the team’s lead to 4-3 but they held on to beat the Vancouver Canucks. He has now allowed at least three goals in each of his first five games since the break.
Shesterkin let in a few goals after allowing bad rebounds on weak shots in the Rangers’ 6-4 win over the Canucks on Feb. 15. He allowed four goals in an ugly first period against the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 17. However, he bounced back, stopping all 21 shots he faced in the rest of regulation and overtime. He allowed a shootout goal to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins but made five consecutive saves afterward to earn a 5-4 victory.
It looked as though Shesterkin was breaking out of his slump with his strong play after the first period against the Oilers but he let in a couple of goals on shots he usually stops in the Rangers’ 4-1 loss to the Jets. He made a few great saves on odd-man rushes but overcommitted on shots from the point and allowed too many bad rebounds.
For Shesterkin and the Rangers Moving Forward
Though there is never a good time for a star goaltender to slump, Shesterkin has time to turn things around with 25 games left in the regular season. The Rangers are 22-5-4 in their last 31 games and they have built up a bit of a cushion in the standings. However, in the very competitive Eastern Conference, they can’t afford to give away too many games because of poor goaltending.
The Rangers are a better team than they were last season and they do not need to rely as heavily on Shesterkin. Right now he does not have to be great, he just has to play better than he has in his first five games since the All-Star Break. However, to have a shot at making a deep run this postseason, they will need him to put this slump behind him and once again play like a star.