When you are a goaltender playing in preseason, all you want to do is feel the puck and get your game where it needs to be to have success in the regular season.
As of this writing (Wednesday night, October 4th), New York Rangers veteran goaltender Jonathan Quick struggles to do both. Yes, it is only preseason, but Quick, 37, has not looked comfortable in between the pipes thus far.
Now, when the team signed Quick, 37, as a free agent in the offseason, it did not come without criticism from many in the hockey world. This is an aging veteran who was terrible last season in going 16-15-0-6 with a 3.41 goals-against average, a .882 save percentage, and two shutouts.
On the other hand, and I am guilty of this, many figured that Quick could recapture some magic and be the kind of goalie who can hopefully steal games every now and again. If this preseason is any indication, and Rangers fans better hope that it is not, then it looks like the Rangers will have to ride starter Igor Shesterkin hard this season.
For starters, Quick has given up a lot of goals in his three preseason starts. A veteran goaltender such as Quick should not be allowing this many goals in games that do not count for anything.
Just look at these statistics in his three starts:
- Sunday, September 24th against the Boston Bruins: Allowed three goals on 14 shots
- Saturday, September 30th, against the New York Islanders: Allowed four goals on 25 shots
- Wednesday, October 4th, against the New Jersey Devils: Allowed four goals on 18 shots
If you are counting at home, that is 11 goals allowed on 54 shots. I am not a mathematician or anything like that, but not only does that add up to a poor goals-against average, but it also leads to a poor save percentage.
Secondly, pucks seem to find ways to go through him, which is a bit concerning. This is something that hurt his game last season, and so far in the preseason, it is something that is causing Quick some problems.
This was especially the case in his first preseason start against the Bruins. One of the goals that the Bruins scored was one that Quick did not get enough of a piece of as it went under his shoulder, a goal that needs to be stopped not only in the preseason but especially in the regular season.
It also does not help Quick that the team has not played well in front of him. His teammates have struggled to clear loose pucks around the net, clear the front of the net, pick up the extra man, and do all the little things that help keep the puck out of the net.
With Quick’s poor play in goal, one has to wonder how much of a leash he will have in the regular season if he does not play well behind Shesterkin. Last season, Jaroslav Halak got off to a terrible start as a Blueshirt, but he ended up finding his game and having a solid season.
Both the Rangers and their fans better hope that it is just preseason jitters and Quick getting used to the Rangers style of play. If it is not, however, they could be in trouble when it comes to the backup goaltending position.
