Igor Shesterkin pulled out all the stops in helping the Rangers shut down a five-minute power play for the Flyers on Wednesday night.
The Blueshirts goalie continues his sparkling season by stopping seven shots and turning aside Philadelphia during a frenzied penalty kill early in the second period that saw Shesterkin lose his stick while stopping a shot that deflected off the crossbar, then made multiple saves with teammate Jacob Trouba’s stick before the Rangers were finally able to clear the puck.
“We did a great job killing the penalty,” head coach Gerard Gallant said after the 4-1 win, the team’s eighth in the last nine games. “Didn’t give them a whole lot, but Shesty made some great saves in that five-minute major, for sure…he stood up and made some unreal saves.”
The 25-year-old has continued to blossom into one of the league’s best, now holding a 2.15 goals against average on the season, tied for fifth-best in the NHL among netminders that have played at least 15 games. His .935 save percentage ranks third among qualified goaltenders, and most importantly, he has picked up a win in seven of his last eight starts.
His heroics during the five-minute major on Dryden Hunt helped make it four wins in a row for Shesterkin, who helped New York keep its 3-0 lead.
“You don’t want to give up seven shots,” Trouba said. “But he was there when we needed him, like he always is.”
Shesterkin downplayed the effort, even if it included making three saves with a teammate’s stick and keeping the Flyers off the board for the entire five minutes.
“I couldn’t really say that those minutes felt very long,” Shesterkin said. “The guys worked really well and blocked a lot of shots and made a lot of smart moves. Honestly, seven saves in five minutes isn’t really that much.”
But Shesterkin didn’t downplay the response from the Madison Square Garden crowd, which chanted his name when the final seconds ticked off the penalty kill, saluting a memorable effort and a highlight of what has been a breakout season.
“It’s honestly hard to describe,” Shesterkin said. “It adds a lot of emotion and strength. Definitely motivates me. The most important thing is to try to not cry right then and there.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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