WASHINGTON -- Igor Shesterkin was helped off the ice with a lower-body injury in the second period of the New York Rangers’ game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Friday. He will not return.
With Washington on the power play, the 30-year-old goalie appeared to injure his right leg at 8:20, when it looked like he jammed his right skate into the right post after scrambling to get back into his net. Shesterkin’s right leg then appeared to bend awkwardly under him as he fell in the crease.
After remaining down on the ice and being attended to by the Rangers head athletic trainer Andy Hosler, Shesterkin was helped off the ice by defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson without putting any weight on his right leg. Shesterkin also had to be helped down the tunnel to the locker room.
Shesterkin stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced before exiting the game and being replaced by Dylan Garand. In four previous starts this season, Shesterkin was 3-1-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. He also scored his first NHL goal in a 5-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Oct. 1.
The Rangers are already missing backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who is week to week with a lower-body injury. Garand was called up from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Oct. 1 after clearing waivers and being sent down on Sept 28.
Garand made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 2-0 victory at the Detroit Red Wings on Oct.2. The 24-year-old was 3-0-1 with a 1.22 GAA, .958 save percentage and one shutout in four career NHL games (all starts) entering Friday.
Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2021-22, missed 13 games last season after sustaining a lower-body injury in the first period of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 5. He went 25-19-6 with a 2.50 GAA, .912 save percentage and one shutout in 51 games (all starts) last season.
