When the Rangers return to action on Saturday in Buffalo following a four-country break, we hope Igor Shesterkin will return, provided Friday practice goes well – he will be in Pittsburgh He recovered from his upper body injury on February 7th, when he lost.
And that's positive news for the Rangers, but when the goalkeeper is on the sidelines a week or two after the goalkeeper appears to be injured near his lower arm in the scrum in front of the goalmouth As I said, the real question is what version of Shesterkin they'll see?
He excelled again for much of the first month of the regular season and for two weeks in mid-January.
But he also has a pair of ugly stretches, including most of November and December, including the last five matches before the break.
The 29-year-old has had some rather mediocre results that he doesn't compare to a year ago.
He finished 33rd in the league, averaging 2.87 goals, finishing 11th (2.58 GAA), then 19th with a save percentage of .906 and tied 10th (.913) in the category last season. It's there.
It's far from what the Rangers expected when they signed the eight-year $92 million ($11.5 million a year) to kick next year.
Following practice at Tarrytown on Thursday, we asked about the season so far. This was Shesterkin's first full practice since his injury, and the goalkeeper said “it's not good until now.”
He spoke for himself as much as the rest of the team. This meant that, with winning the President's trophy last year, and finishing the regular season with the most points in the league, he had to find a way to go through only the last 27 games. To get back to the postseason.
They sit three points from the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference where three teams pass.
“We're fighting for the playoff spots [and] I'm working so hard,” Shesterkin said. “Last season, we were in a better place than this year.”
But he also stated exactly, “It's all in our hands.”
Especially Shesterkin.
And if he plays stretch like last season, the Rangers will be in good condition.
After a rough stretch last season, Rabiolet gave Shesterkin a “reset” before the All-Star break, and he replied.
In the first 32 games of the season, Shesterkin had a .899 save percentage along with a 19-12-1 record. Following the reset, he went 17-5-1 with a .929 save percentage.
He is usually better following a break throughout his career. And when asked on Thursday why it was, Shesterkin smiled and said, “I think I always step up my game.”
Laviolet acknowledged the rough path his team had this year.
“It wasn't [easy] The coach said. “We got off to a good start to the season [and] It was decent until January 1st. We got a bit lost in the middle and, really, it would come down to how we end up. ”
Regarding Shesterkin and backup Jonathan Quick, Rabiolet said, “I don't think we can be more confident in goaltending than we do with them both.”
However, he adds that the team's success lies in the entire roster and as the trade deadline for March 7 is approaching, the team must prove that it can run.
“That's definitely important,” Rabiolet said. “I think we showed that [we’re capable]in the same way. Now that the break is over, here's the final stretch. …We have to produce. ”
