Rangers Stand by Rookie Goaltender Dylan Garand after Tough Game

Following a rough outing that marked the worst start of Dylan Garand’s NHL career, the Rangers aren’t pointing fingers at the rookie goaltender who stepped up to fill the void left by Igor Shesterkin and Joonas Korpisalo’s injuries.

This disappointing turn of events added a twist to what had initially been a promising and historic start for Garand. In the game against the Devils, he faced 14 shots and allowed four goals, including two within just 31 seconds, before being replaced by Spencer Martin in the Rangers’ 7-1 drubbing. Garand had come into the game boasting a 1.15 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage for the season.

Head coach Mike Sullivan expressed confidence in Garand, stating, “It’s not on Dylan. I think he’s played pretty well for us and has shown sound hockey. I believe Dylan will bounce back. He’s a competitive guy and has performed admirably up to this point. I expect him to respond correctly, just like the rest of the team.”

Garand’s season has been an odd rollercoaster. He was cut during training camp, placed on waivers, then sent to AHL Hartford after clearing, only to return for the Rangers’ second game of the season due to Korpisalo’s lower-body injury. When Shesterkin’s season abruptly ended last Friday due to a knee injury, Garand stepped into the starting role and managed to win his first two games, giving the team hope in a tough situation.

However, for all the promise he has shown, Garand has only made seven starts and had eight appearances, which, as you can imagine, puts a lot of pressure on him. Early in the game, he managed to stop Jack Hughes, but then things started to slip away after he conceded a goal to Evan Rodrigues off a turnover. The night got worse when Luke Hughes’ shot deflected off Adam Fox’s skate, finding the back of the net at the second period’s start.

“We’re gonna need him here for a lot of games,” Fox mentioned. “He’s been solid and is mentally tough. I’m confident he can bounce back. He understands his importance to the team and what we’re striving for. That game isn’t on him at all.”

In response to Shesterkin’s long-term injury and Korpisalo’s situation, the Rangers have bolstered their goaltending depth. James Reimer, a veteran with 539 NHL games under his belt, has signed a professional tryout agreement with AHL Hartford, as announced by the Wolf Pack. He can play up to 25 games before decisions about his future need to be made, which is critical given the current state of goaltending depth with Garand and Martin now on the NHL roster. Callum Tung and Gabriel Carriere are currently manning the net for Hartford. The Rangers confirmed on October 10 that Korpisalo would be out for at least another four weeks.

Reimer hasn’t started more than 25 games in an NHL season since 2022-23. Last year, he made 14 appearances with the Senators, including 13 starts, and recorded a 7-4-2 record, with an .886 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average.

In other team news, Alexis Lafrenière received a game misconduct late in the third period for comments directed at an official. Matt Rempe and Scott Morrow were healthy scratches, while Justin Dowling centered the fourth line following his recall from Hartford on Wednesday.