This may be hard to believe, but when it comes to the New York Rangers and their goaltending, Jonathan Quick has been the better goaltender up to this point in this season.
Quick, 37, is 9-0-0-1 with a 2.09 goals-against average, a .926 save percentage, and one shutout. He has been one of the league’s best stories this season and is one of the main reasons why the Rangers are one of the best teams this season.
The team’s other goaltender, All-Star Igor Shesterkin, has not been nearly as good as Quick. Going into his team’s 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, December 19th, Shesterkin, 27, was 11-7 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.
After Shesterkin lost 7-3 to the Leafs last Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, many wondered what was happening with Igor. Hockey and Ranger pundits and fans alike wondered if he was still hurt, lost confidence, or if his play between the pipes was the product of his team playing too loose in front of him.
It is safe to say that after his 2-1 overtime win over the Boston Bruins on Saturday night and his win over the Leafs on Tuesday night, December 19th, Shesterkin’s game is starting to round into form. For starters, he is seeing the puck well.
In the two wins, Shesterkin has stopped 52 of 55 shots. He was able to do so by being in a good position, getting help from his defensemen, and keeping his game very simple.
Against both the Bruins and Leafs, Shesterkin was rarely out of position. He was not flashy, he did not allow any soft goals, and he played with a lot of confidence.
Secondly, Shesterkin came up with the big saves when he needed to. He made several big stops against the Bruins on Saturday night and played big in his club’s victory over the Leafs in stymying the likes of John Tavares (five saves), Auston Matthews (three saves on five shots), William Nylander (two saves), and Mitch Marner (one save).
That has not always been the case for Shesterkin this season. He struggled against the Leafs last week (December 12th), did not play well against the Washington Capitals (December 9th) or the Ottawa Senators (December 5th), and played poorly against the Columbus Blue Jackets earlier in the season (October 14th).
Lastly, Rangers’ head coach Peter Laviolette is showing faith in him. Laviolette could have easily gone with Quick against the Bruins last Saturday night even though it was a back-to-back situation, but he stuck with his plan and started Shesterkin, which resulted in Shesterkin turning in a 21-save performance in a victory.
Laviolette could have also gone with Quick against the Leafs on Tuesday night. Considering that Shesterkin gave up six goals to them last week, it would have made sense if Quick was named the starter.
Instead, Laviolette started Shesterkin. Laviolette once again made the right choice as Shesterkin stopped 31 of 33 shots in his second straight win.
If Shesterkin gets hot, the Metropolitan Division, Eastern Conference, and the rest of the league need to be put on notice.
