Rangers Goalie Shesterkin Leads Team to Victory with 33 Saves and Second Shutout of Season

On Saturday night, the Rangers faced the Penguins at Madison Square Garden, and goalie Igor Shesterkin played a critical role in their 6-0 victory.

Shesterkin saved 33 shots, marking his second shutout of the season and his first since November 1st.

This win was also his fifth in a row and his 32nd win of the season.

Shesterkin has blanked ten teams in his four-year NHL career, and he expressed his happiness and satisfaction with this victory.

Despite his workload decreasing throughout the game, Shesterkin remained sharp from start to finish.

In the first period, he saved back-to-back shots from Rickard Rackell and Jake Guentzel before denying Drew O’Connor from the slot at the end of the second period.’

Although he only had to make eight saves in the final 20 minutes, Shesterkin continued to limit the Penguins’ opportunities.

In the last several games, Shesterkin has delivered some of his best performances of the season.

He has maintained a save percentage above .900 in each of the last four games and six of the last eight.

In the last five games, he has stopped 146 of the 155 shots he has faced, resembling his Vezina Trophy-winning performance from last season.

After the game, head coach Gerard Gallant praised Shesterkin’s recent performances, emphasizing the critical role of goaltending in the Rangers’ success.

The Rangers improved to 40-19-10 after the victory.

Shesterkin’s win over the Capitals earlier this week marked him as the second goaltender to reach the 30-win mark this season.

He is also the first Rangers goaltender to record consecutive 30-win seasons since Henrik Lundqvist did it from 2013-14 to 2016-17.

The Rangers will have a day off on Monday before returning to game action on Tuesday against the Hurricanes at the Garden.