Shesterkin goes down, and the Rangers' net now belongs to Dylan Garand
With Korpisalo and Spencer Martin also hurt, a 24-year-old with five NHL games is all that stands between New York and trouble.
The Rangers can survive a lot of things. A long stretch without Igor Shesterkin isn't one of them, and right now the plan behind him is a 24-year-old with five NHL games and two other goalies in the organization already hurt.
Shesterkin went down midway through the second period of Friday's 3-1 loss in Washington. He came well out of his crease to challenge a shooter, scrambled back, and jammed his right skate into the post. He couldn't put weight on the leg, and Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi helped him off. The Rangers gave no diagnosis after the game.
"It's concerning, obviously," Mike Sullivan said. J.T. Miller was blunter: "He's a pillar of this team. It stinks."
The number: .927. That's Shesterkin's save percentage through five starts, per NHL data: 102 saves on 110 shots. He's the main reason the Rangers started 4-2. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak, and he left with the game tied 1-1.
Now the bad part. Joonas Korpisalo, who was supposed to be the backup, is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and listed week to week. Spencer Martin is hurt in Hartford. Behind him is Callum Tung, who has never played an NHL game.
That leaves Dylan Garand, and in fairness to the goaltender, he's been sharp. Garand has stopped 33 of 34 shots this season, per NHL data, including a 22-save shutout of Detroit on Oct. 2.
He went 2-0-1 with a .948 save percentage in three starts last season. Two NHL appearances this year is a tiny sample, and he gave up the go-ahead goal late in the second on Friday. Still, nothing he's done says he can't hold the fort for a week.
Ferda take: a week is fine. A month isn't. Garand can win games behind a team that's been this good defensively, but the Rangers have no margin left if he gets hurt or tired. One more injury and they're starting a goalie with no NHL games.
So here's the call. If the news on Shesterkin is anything longer than a couple of weeks, the Rangers add a veteran goalie within seven days, even a waiver claim, because Garand plus nobody isn't a plan. If it's short, Garand starts Sunday against Vancouver and the Rangers hold the line until Korpisalo is back.
Either way, an eight-year, $92 million goalie is the most important player on this roster by a mile. Friday night just made that obvious to everybody else.
