PHILADELPHIA — At first, Igor Shesterkin joked.
He had just made his sixth consecutive start and required Shesterkin, who made a key save on the penalty kill late in the Rangers’ 2-1 win over the Flyers, totaling 39 saves.
But when asked about what resonated with the goaltender during Saturday’s winning streak (which coincided with the Rangers’ franchise-record 10-game winning streak since the All-Star break), Shesterkin didn’t respond. Ta. many tips. “It’s a secret,” he said, adding that nothing has really changed.
“Everything is the same,” Shesterkin said. “The puck is the same size. I see the puck at the same speed. Everything is the same, but the guys are making great plays in front of me, so I started touching the puck more.”
However, the results have changed. Shesterkin was on top of the Rangers’ winning streak entering the All-Star break, posting near-career-worst numbers while earning a spot in the All-Star Game.
So the Rangers ended up giving him a reset after the break. Jonathan Quick was the best goaltender, purely based on numbers and results, and he kept winning.
But the Blueshirts’ support for Shesterkin never wavered, and since intentionally giving him time to work with goalie coach Benoît Allaire, his save percentage has inched above .900. He won his first start back against the Blackhawks.
Three days later at the Garden, Shesterkin recorded his first shutout of the season.
He posted a better-than-expected -7.9 goals saved per game in January, ranking last among 75 goaltenders, according to NHL Network. February was the first at +10.9.
During Saturday’s win, the Flyers stringed together 10 high-danger scoring chances and had an expected goals per game of 2.42, according to Natural Stat Trick. But Shesterkin only slipped past Tyson Forster’s score in the second period.
Early in the opening frame, when the Rangers were sloppy with the puck at times, Shesterkin ensured Philadelphia didn’t turn those mistakes into an early lead.
And in the third period, after the Rangers took the lead with Matt Lempe’s first NHL goal, Shesterkin appeared at the crease as Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim skated toward Shesterkin.
The Rangers were on the power play, but Philadelphia still managed to escape.
But as Sanheim got going, Shesterkin used his pads to push the puck to the side, and the Blueshirts’ lead remained intact.
“If we’re a little late out of the gate and he’s not ready, it might be a different story,” head coach Peter Laviolette said. “He was on point tonight.”
Vincent Trocheck, who assisted on Alexis Lafreniere’s second-period goal, needs three more points to reach 500 career points.
Lafreniere had six goals and three assists for nine points during the Rangers’ winning streak.
