As the final seconds ticked away in the third period during the Rangers' 4-0 win over Columbus on Friday night, Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins directed his team to stay back in their own zone and let the clock hit zero.
Merzlikins then lifted his stick to salute Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin, who had just notched his third career shutout, while the Madison Square Garden crowd chanted "I-GOR! I-GOR!"
In the eyes of Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant, Merzlikins and the MSG fans were saluting one of the best in the league.
"I think he's one of the top goalies in the league, there's no doubt," Gallant said after the game. "He's athletic, he's strong, and everything seems to hit him in the chest."
The numbers make it tough to argue Gallant's assessment. The 26-year-old Shesterkin is allowing 1.81 goals per game so far this season, tied with Florida's Sergei Bobrovsky for the fourth-best mark in the NHL among goalies that have played at least five games. His .944 save percentage is tied with Bobrovsky for third in the league among qualified goalies.
"He's incredible, he's been great," Gallant said. "Our best player all season long. He's in the zone.
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Shesterkin was in the zone when New York needed it most on Friday night, keeping Columbus at bay despite facing plenty of pressure in the first period, where he had to make 12 saves before the Rangers scoring attack came to life.
"He made some really key saves early in the hockey game, because they could have been leading 1 or 2-0 in the first five minutes of the game, I thought," Gallant said. "But he played really well."
The Rangers are just 21st in the league in goals scored, yet hold a 5-2-1 record thanks in large part to Shesterkin, who has the Rangers at ninth in the NHL in goals allowed. If you ask Gallant, getting one past Shesterkin means beating one of the best goalies in the league, and Shesterkin's play is currently backing up his coach's claim.
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