It hasn't been a great Stanley Cup Playoffs so far for the New York Rangers, particularly for goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who is surprisingly struggling. Widely regarded as the best goalie this season, Shesterkin is getting embarrassed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are now up 3-1 in their first-round series against the Rangers after a 7-2 win Monday night.
It was the second time in a row that the Rangers gave up seven goals in this series. It was also the second in a row in which they pulled Shesterkin, which left speculations about whether the Rangers will continue to start him in Game 5 at home. For New York head coach Gerard Gallant, there's no question about it; his team will have Shesterkin in front of the net come on Wednesday.
“He's the best goalie in the league. So, I'm going with him,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said after the Penguins' 7-2 rout in Game 4 in Pittsburgh Monday night, giving the hosts a 3-1 series lead.
Shesterkin was a disaster in Game 4, allowing six goals on 30 shots from the Penguins. Alexander Georgiev stepped in midway and stopped 10 of 11 shots. As bad as Shesterkin is so far in the series, the Rangers can't get tired of him, considering how he carried the team on his back in the regular season. The Rangers entered the playoffs second in the league with just 2.49 goals allowed per game and second too in saves percentage (.930).
With their backs against the wall, the Rangers are hoping that the dominant version of Shesterkin will finally show up in Game 5.
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