Shesterkin Shines in Shootout Despite Penguins’ Attempts

In Saturday’s shootout win against the Rangers, three Penguins players couldn’t find their mark against Igor Shesterkin. Still, the Russian goaltender’s .738 save percentage in shootouts is now a franchise record.

Over his seven seasons in the NHL, Shesterkin has saved 62 out of 84 shootout attempts. This impressive statistic places him fifth in the league since he began his career in the 2019-20 season.

The only players ahead of him are Juice Saros (.806), Elvis Merzlikins (.747), Jordan Binnington (.705), and Jake Oettinger (.739).

“I’m not going to lie, it was a relief,” said Mike Sullivan, the head coach, referring to Shesterkin’s presence during the shootout. “He’s, in my opinion, the best goaltender in the game right now. At this level, he’s elite. Having him in the net gives you a sense of security, be it in a shootout or at any moment. He can really change the game’s outcome.”

This was Shesterkin’s second game back after he sat out 13 games due to a lower-body injury.

Since returning, he’s performed remarkably well, stopping 52 out of 57 shots for a current season save percentage of .913.

In this phase, it’s also a bit different for Shesterkin without Artemi Panarin by his side—a teammate since his call-up in January 2020. “He’s one of the top players in the league,” Shesterkin expressed about Panarin. “Losing someone like that is tough for us. I hope he enjoys the trade. We wish him the best.”

When asked about his plans for the remaining 23 games, Sullivan indicated that it would be a collaborative choice. “I’ll discuss it with Sheskey, and we’ll figure it out together,” he said. “He’s feeling strong and worked hard to come back. As for his workload going forward, I don’t have a concrete answer at this moment. But he will be playing, I can assure you that.”

With Saturday’s victory, the Rangers achieved a .769 winning percentage in their head-to-head matchup—marking their best since the NHL started tracking ties in the 1997-98 season.

This figure ties for the 10th-highest single-game win percentage in league history and is the highest since the Oilers achieved 79.6% in March 2024.

The Rangers took a break on Sunday and faced the Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.