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Rookie goalies with a nice “ring” to them

By Scott Esposito

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers tends net against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2020 in New York City. The Blue Jackets defeated the Rangers 2-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 19: Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers tends net against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on January 19, 2020 in New York City. The Blue Jackets defeated the Rangers 2-1. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The St. Louis Blues were dead last in the NHL in January 2019. More than five months later they were Stanley Cup champions, thanks largely to the goaltending of rookie Jordan Binnington. Could first-year standout Igor Shesterkin do the same for the New York Rangers?

Jordan Binnington did it. Why not Igor Shesterkin?

If the 67.5 percent of the 126 followers who voted in Blue Line Station’s recent unscientific poll have their way, Shesterkin will start the opening game of a best-of-five-play-in series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The Russian standout was the consensus pick over fellow 24-year-old Alexandar Georgiev (3.2%) and future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist (29.4%) who has an outstanding history against the Canes and is the only of the trio with NHL playoff experience.

Shesterkin has played all of 12 regular season NHL games. Of those, seven were against the three lowest-scoring teams in each conference (Devils, twice). Georgiev has 77 appearances on his NHL resume. Neither’s track record screams “I’m the starter!” come playoff time.

But then, look at Binnington and the St. Louis Blues of last season.

The Blues replaced head coach Mike Yeo after 19 games (7-9-3) with Craig Berube. The team then proceeded to win just eight of their next eighteen matches and on January 3, 2019, ranked dead last in the NHL with 34 points.

Binnington had two starts in December before taking over for good in the new year. He responded by posting a 20-4-1 record, 1.89 goals-against average (GAA) and .927 save percentage (SP) to lead the Blues to an improbable playoff berth.

In the playoffs, he became the second NHL rookie goalie to win 16 playoff matches, posting an impressive 2.46 GAA and .914 SP last postseason.

His best work came in the opening period of Game Seven of the Finals versus Boston, when he turned aside a 12-shot barrage by the Bruins. St. Louis went over 16 minutes between shots on goal, and had only four in the period, but scored on the last two.

Binnington stopped 11 more Boston bids in the second period, as the Blues held on to their 2-0 despite having been out shot 23-10. He lost his shutout with 2:10 remaining, but by then the Blues already had a 4-0 lead and locked up the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title.

Not bad for a kid drafted in the third round in 2011 and who played just one game for the Blues before last season.

Could a similar scenario play out for Shesterkin and the Rangers?

History isn’t on his side.

In 52 seasons since the NHL’s expansion in 1967,  only six rookie goalies have lead his team to a Stanley Cup championship. Here’s a look at each with team and Cup-winning season listed.

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