New York Rangers fans, breathe a sigh of relief—Igor Shesterkin is back. After some time on the shelf, the Rangers’ franchise netminder returned to the crease dramatically, making 21 saves and helping secure a gritty 3-2 overtime win over their Hudson River rival New Jersey Devils on Thursday at MSG.
The Devils flew, peppering Igor early with shots, including a few high-danger chances. He didn’t look entirely like his Vezina-winning self in the opening minutes, giving up a rebound that appeared to lead to New Jersey’s first goal, but it was waived off as the puck hit the crossbar. Jack Hughes tipped a puck past him, which is tough for any goalie, especially Shesterkin. Hughes is now the first player to score 10 regular-season goals on Igor Shesterkin. The guy owns him and everyone in Blueshirts sweaters. He’s got 5 goals and 8 points in 3 games against the Rangers this year and 16 goals with 28 points in 23 career games. That doesn’t include when he torched Shesterkin in the 2023 playoffs, as the Devils rallied from an 0-2 series deficit to oust the Rangers in seven games.
Per @DevilsMSGN, #NJDevils Jack Hughes becomes the first player in the NHL to score 10 regular season goals on Igor Shesterkin.
— Kristy Flannery (@InStilettos_NHL) January 10, 2025
The second is Sam Reinhart, with eight.
Not long after, things go from bad to worse. Dougie Hamilton leveled Will Cuylle, which set up New Jersey in transition. Jesper Bratt takes the puck wide, Schneider protects the middle, and Bratt beats Igor on the short side, giving the Devils a 2-1 lead. From there, we saw the Igor we know and love. The Blueshirts were pinned in their zone for stretches, and it felt like every Devils line was throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him. Shesterkin stood tall, flashing the leather on a wicked wrist shot from Jack Hughes and stoning a breakaway attempt by Jesper Bratt.
Igor Shesterkin tonight:
— StatMuse Hockey (@statmusehockey) January 10, 2025
23 shots faced
21 saves
.913 SV%
First win since December 20. pic.twitter.com/Et7oaFXz1H
His poise was impeccable, particularly during a late Devils power play where he made two point-blank saves to keep the score knotted, forcing overtime. Even when the Devils briefly controlled possession in the bonus frame before Sam Carrick beat Jacob Markstrom to win it for the Rangers, New Jersey was hesitant to test Igor unless they had the perfect look. That’s the kind of respect he commands. Shesterkin’s lateral movement and tracking looked sharp. It was the type of performance that gives Rangers fans hope we can go on another deep playoff run.
Why not an A? We’ve seen Igor at his absolute peak, and while this was an excellent performance, it wasn’t quite vintage Shesterkin. However, this was an outstanding effort considering the circumstances—returning from injury, facing a high-octane Devils offense, and being thrown into an overtime battle. He gave the Rangers the confidence to push through tough stretches, and by the end of the night, he reminded us why he’s one of the best goaltenders in the league.
Welcome back, Igor. We missed you.