The hottest revival on Broadway is not “Merrily We Roll Along” or “Spamalot”; it is a man known as Igor Shesterkin. He was the backbone in New York’s 1-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday and could not be beaten. His 28-save performance and second consecutive shutout proved why he is a man on a mission. With a record of 9-1-1 in his last 11 starts, there seems to be no one more dominant than Shesterkin. Also, let’s all wish Mrs. Shesterkin a Happy Belated Birthday!
It’s Igor Shesterkin‘s mother’s birthday today so he “couldn’t play a bad game tonight” ❤ pic.twitter.com/ONPJ53axS6
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) March 13, 2024
The All-Star Game back in February might have been Shesterkin’s saving grace. He was the second-to-last goaltender selected to the hometown squad of Team Matthews. Immediately, the spotlight is on the Rangers’ netminder. Splitting time with Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Shesterkin found himself playing in the second half and in the shootout of the semifinals. Stopping all four shots, Shesterkin propelled the hometown team into the finals. His entire team, including Vincent Trocheck, swarmed Shesterkin and hugs were given all around. He even shared an iconic with Swayman, a trademark of his and fellow Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark. Some players do not look forward to the All-Star festivities. For Shesterkin, it is almost as if they were needed to jumpstart his career. Therefore, he is back to his true self once again.
Igor Shesterkin Is The “I” Of The Storm
Firstly, many fans had this matchup circled on all of their calendars. The Rangers, embarking on a tough stretch in the month of March, are coming off of an impressive run of play. Despite dropping their first two fixtures of the month, New York dominated in their last two matchups against the St. Louis Blues and the New Jersey Devils. Evidently, the Rangers had a tough task ahead in the form of the Hurricanes.
Back-to-backs have not been quite kind to the Rangers, having played in 10 of them up until last Monday. Nevertheless, with New York’s win on Tuesday they are now 10-1-0 in second legs of back-to-backs. Consecutive matchups have allowed both Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick to showcase their skill and dependability in Peter Laviolette‘s lineup. Last night was a defensive masterclass from New York, highlighted by the saves of Igor Shesterkin like this one on Jake Guentzel.
Igor. Shesterkin.
??? pic.twitter.com/jbsuBlwO9A
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 13, 2024
New York’s D-Core Deserves An A+
Shesterkin deserves all of the love, but let’s shed some light on all of New York’s defensive pairs. First, the top pair of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren had arguably their best 60 minutes all season long. With Jacob Trouba out of the lineup for another week or so, Lindgren is filling in for his captain in the shot-blocking department. He is one of those players that is not afraid to sacrifice the body while helping your goaltender out at the same time. He is a warrior, there is nothing glamourous about his game and that is a compliment by all means.
Fox on the other hand was tremendous as always. He is known for his offensive prowess, but he has a skillset on the opposite side of the puck that is impeccable. The timing of his poke checks is noticeable and frustrates the opponent. His slides are timed perfectly, corrupting any window in sight. It was also his goal with eight seconds left in the first period that ended up being the breakthrough.
K’Andre Miller and Zac Jones played some of their best hockey on Tuesday that led to Shesterkin’s third shutout of the season. Both players skated well, meaning that there strides were evident. Both never seemed to get frazzled and marked their men with ease. Miller has such an advantage with his long reach, and he showcased it against Carolina’s pesky forwards. All six defencemen stood out, but these four stood out facing a team that they will likely see again later down the line.
No Rempe, No Problem
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday that Matt Rempe will miss four games for his hit on New Jersey’s Jonas Siegenthaler. The first of his four was, in fact, Tuesday’s win over Carolina. He will be missed, but it is not the end of the world. New York can find their grit elsewhere, and it showed last night. Players like Barclay Goodrow, who had an excellent game, proved that they are not afraid of anyone. They annoyed Carolina, so much so that they left them off of the scoresheet. When he returns to the lineup, Rempe needs to readjust his demeanor because, believe it or not, the kid means well.
New York is back in action on Thursday when they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST on Thursday from Amalie Arena.
Main Photo: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
