Not too long ago, New York Rangers fans were worried about the play of their franchise goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
His statistics did not look good, his play between the pipes looked off, and he did not look very comfortable when given a start in the goal. Shesterkin, 28, looked like the goaltender who struggled for much of the first half last season.
Even after all that, it is amazing how quickly things can change. Regarding Shesterkin, things have changed for the better as all appears to be more than back on track.
Just look at what Shesterkin has done for his team in his last five starts:
- Five Wins
- 1.58 goals-against average
- .946 save percentage
- Eight goals allowed
Based on the statistics mentioned above, it looks like the “old” Igor has returned. This should be more than welcome news to both the Rangers and their fans as they begin 2024.
Thanks to his recent stretch, Shesterkin’s statistics for the season also look much better. As of this writing (Tuesday morning, January 2nd), he is 15-7 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
There are a few reasons why Shesterkin is back to playing at a high level. For starters, he is coming up with the big saves when his team needs them the most.
A great example of this is his performance in his team’s 4-3 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres back on December 23rd. Shesterkin made three outstanding saves in overtime, which allowed his team to get their offense together and have Chris Kreider score the overtime winner off a great play and feed from Mika Zibanejad.
Another reason why Shesterkin is playing so well is because the team is finally giving him some goal support. In his five wins, the Rangers have scored a total of 21 goals.
In a lot of his losses this season, the team struggled to score goals. This probably put a lot of pressure on Shesterkin to be perfect, and while he is an elite goaltender, it is difficult to win games if the team in front of you is not going to put the puck in the net.
Lastly, Shesterkin is playing with a lot of confidence. He is back to challenging shooters, making first and second saves, and doing a lot of winning.
When Shesterkin plays with confidence, he is one of the best goaltenders in the league. He becomes tough to beat, makes the big saves, and does not let anything bother him.
With Shesterkin playing this way, the Blueshirts are only going to strengthen their chances to lift the Stanley Cup come June.
