RALEIGH, N.C. — The Rangers will be led by Igor Shesterkin.
Tuesday night’s 1-0 win over the Hurricanes saw the Russian star netminder record his second consecutive shutout with 28 saves and give the Rangers a six-point lead over Carolina for first place in the Metropolitan Division standings. And this was the latest match that reminded us of that fact.
A hot team from Carolina State has arrived. They had outscored their opponents 15-5 in their last three games.
Then the Hurricanes had to play Shesterkin and the Rangers, and their offense went cold.
With this loss, Carolina’s winning streak ended at three, but the Rangers extended their winning streak to three.
Shesterkin won the goaltending duel with Pitor Kochetkov. Kochetkov allowed just one goal, a shot by Adam Fox that bounced off former Ranger-turned-Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei late in the first period.
Otherwise, Kochetkov presented just as much of a challenge for the Rangers, who were rejected at every turn due to insurance tallies.
Especially in the third period, the first few minutes of the final frame became a track meet.
The way Shesterkin has improved his game over the past month and a half should give the Rangers’ locker room confidence that he can make a difference in any matchup.
The key to the future will be whether he can support No. 31 in scoring a little more.
Still, the Rangers earned their second 1-0 win of the season.
Not only did they match the intensity with which the Hurricanes always seem to play, they played smart in a tense game that saw Carolina pull its goaltender for an extra skater in the final two minutes of regulation. Did.
