COLUMBUS, Ohio – Goalie Igor Shesterkin is unavailable to again up Jonathan Fast in opposition to the Blue Jackets on Saturday night time on account of an upper-body harm he presumably sustained the earlier night time at Madison Sq. Backyard.
The undisclosed harm, which occurred through the Rangers’ loss to the Penguins, is predicted to sideline Shesterkin for 1-2 weeks, which tasks the star Russian netminder to be able to return by the conclusion of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off break.
Consequently, the Blueshirts recalled goalie Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolf Pack to again up Fast in Columbus.
Saturday night time 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 night time, 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 pictures he confronted within the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Penguins.
Shesterkin has already had some harm bother this season.
After struggling an upper-body harm 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 top 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 targets in three of his final 5 begins.
Of the 45 NHL goalies who performed at the least 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.
In fact, the Rangers as a group went 2-4 in that stretch and haven’t supplied the best of circumstances in entrance of him.
There have been some unlucky bounces and hard screens to combat via of their 3-2 win over the Bruins, however Shesterkin hasn’t been on his absolute A-game.