Jonathan Quick’s Memorable Game in a Challenging Season
He finally got to glide down the ice he’d dreamed of touching since childhood. At 40, this father of three is still living out his fantasy from Connecticut.
If this was his farewell, Jonathan Quick exited Madison Square Garden with a performance to remember, even if the season itself is one he’d likely want to forget. It serves as a testament—there’s truly no better American goaltender out there.
In what could potentially be his last start with the Rangers, and possibly in his illustrious career, this former Conn Smythe winner showcased his skills, racking up 31 saves and stopping everything thrown at him until the very end of Saturday’s 4-1 defeat. It was a loss against the Red Wings.
Rookie Jaroslav Schmeral opened the scoring for the Rangers, while fellow rookie Gabe Perreault netted a hat trick—an impressive feat that also marked his record for scoring in 11 straight games.
The Rangers, now sitting at 32-36-9, have managed to win four of their last five games and are set to face the Capitals on Sunday night in what’s almost their last home game of the season.
Quick, just back from an upper-body injury, was making his first appearance since March 18, when he struggled against the Devils. This was his fourth start since February 5, sadly wrapping up a tough season with a 5-16-2 record, accompanied by a 3.19 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.
During Quick’s absence, rookie Dylan Garland stepped up impressively in his debut, securing the backup role for the upcoming season.
However, head coach Mike Sullivan wanted to see the goaltending legend back on the ice.
The Red Wings (40-28-8) have been playing well, albeit starting slow in this game with just one shot in the initial eight minutes.
The Rangers faced challenges too, failing to excite the crowd until Schmeral deftly redirected a shot from rookie Vladislav Gavrikov, giving the Rangers a lead late in the first period.
This marked Schmeral’s fourth goal of the year, with two of those coming in the last three outings.
Fellow rookie Adam Sykora notched his first assist in his sixth NHL game.
Immediately following the Rangers’ lead, Quick was tested, denying a breakaway from Emmitt Finney and thwarting Travis Hamonic’s follow-up shot. Just moments later, quick reflexes saved a snap shot from David Perron, igniting chants of “Quick” from the fans.
With the score unchanged after both teams took turns on power plays, Mika Zibanejad skillfully maneuvered through defenders before assisting Perreault, who scored, extending the margin to 2-0.
It was Perreault’s first goal since March 12.
Quick benefited in the third when JT Compher’s shot hit the post, and Matthew Robertson set up Perreault for a simple tap-in goal, pushing the lead further.
Perreault wasn’t done, adding another goal late in the game.
Even when the Red Wings opted for an extra attacker, the “Quick” chants reverberated once more. Quick handled every scoring opportunity with remarkable composure.
And then, he slipped off that ice he had always wanted to touch, concluding with a game that felt like a victory, in its own way.
