Igor Shesterkin left the Rangers’ game Friday in Washington after a frightening second-period sequence at Capital One Arena, forcing New York deeper into an already thin goaltending situation.
- Shesterkin appeared to injure his right leg at 8:20 of the second period while Washington was on the power play.
- The 30-year-old scrambled back toward his net, caught his right skate near the right post and went down in the crease with his leg appearing to buckle beneath him.
- Rangers trainers treated Shesterkin on the ice before he was assisted to the dressing room. He did not put weight on the right leg while leaving the rink or heading through the tunnel.
- Before departing, Shesterkin turned aside 13 of 14 shots.
- He entered Friday with a 3-1-0 record, a 1.75 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage in four starts.
- Shesterkin also recorded the first goal of his NHL career in New York’s 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 1.
- Dylan Garand replaced Shesterkin against the Capitals.
- New York is already without backup Joonas Korpisalo, who is listed week to week with a lower-body injury.
- Garand was recalled from AHL Hartford on Oct. 1, shortly after he cleared waivers and was assigned there on Sept. 28.
- The 24-year-old Garand posted his first NHL shutout one day after his recall, making 22 saves in a 2-0 road win over the Detroit Red Wings.
- Entering Friday, Garand owned a 3-0-1 NHL record with a 1.22 GAA, .958 save percentage and one shutout across four career appearances, all starts.
What Shesterkin’s exit means for New York
The Rangers’ crease suddenly rests with Garand while the club awaits an update on Shesterkin. Korpisalo’s absence had already removed the normal safety net behind the starter, and Garand was pushed into the Washington game after Shesterkin could not continue.
Garand has made the most of his limited NHL work, including the clean sheet in Detroit, but the Rangers will be watching closely for the severity of Shesterkin’s right-leg issue. Their No. 1 goaltender was off to a sharp start in both the standings and the stat line before the injury interrupted his night in the capital.
