COLUMBUS, Ohio – Goalie Igor Shesterkin is unavailable to again up Jonathan Fast in opposition to the Blue Jackets on Saturday evening on account of an upper-body damage he presumably sustained the earlier evening at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The undisclosed damage, which occurred through the Rangers’ loss to the Penguins, is predicted to sideline Shesterkin for 1-2 weeks, which initiatives the star Russian netminder to be able to return by the conclusion of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off break.
Because of this, the Blueshirts recalled goalie Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack to again up Fast in Columbus.
Saturday evening is the Rangers’ final sport earlier than the two-week break within the NHL’s regular-season schedule.
A coach got here out to have a look at Shesterkin on Friday evening, after the 29-year-old appeared to harm himself following a goalmouth scramble late within the second interval.
He flexed his proper wrist after the sequence, however nonetheless completed the sport and stopped 23 of the 26 photographs he confronted within the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Penguins.
Shesterkin has already had some damage bother this season.
After struggling an upper-body damage on the finish of December, Shesterkin was positioned on injured reserve and missed 4 video games from Jan. 2-7.
He additionally missed a sport on Dec. 8 as a result of his spouse was in labor.
The tip of January wasn’t the most effective and the beginning of February hasn’t been the strongest for Shesterkin, who has given up 4 or 5 objectives in three of his final 5 begins.
Of the 45 NHL goalies who performed a minimum of three video games from Jan. 25 to Feb. 7, Shesterkin’s .835 save share is the second worst, forward of solely his former teammate and present Sharks goalie Alexandar Georgiev (.825).
Shesterkin’s 3.84 goals-against common was additionally the fifth worst over that span.
After all, the Rangers as a crew went 2-4 in that stretch and haven’t supplied the simplest of situations in entrance of him.
There have been some unlucky bounces and difficult screens to combat by way of of their 3-2 win over the Bruins, however Shesterkin hasn’t been on his absolute A-game.
