The New York Rangers can’t catch a break. As if Peter Laviolette thought 2024 had exhausted its bad news for the team, the Broadway Blueshirts have been dealt an even worse hand to kick off 2025. Dragging a four-game losing streak, they’ll look to snap it in their next matchup against the Boston Bruins—but they’ll have to do so without star goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
The Rangers fell to the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-3 in their final NHL game of the year. Albeit the frustrating result, the team showcased an improvement in their performance, but the puck wouldn’t just bounce their way.
The sky is falling for Laviolette and the Rangers. As morale in the locker room hangs by a thread, New York received devastating news about its best player.
Igor Shesterkin was placed on injured reserve Tuesday night with an upper-body injury, the Rangers’ PR department announced. The full extent of the injury has not been disclosed, nor is it clear whether he sustained it during the game against the Panthers or was already dealing with it before Monday night’s matchup. The 29-year-old goaltender will miss at least the Rangers’ next three games.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) reacts to the play during the game between The New York Rangers and The Colorado Avalanche at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, New York.
Domingue called up
The Rangers face a critical situation early in the season. Dragging a four-game losing skid, New York must bounce back before waving their playoff’s hopes goodbye.
Goaltender Louis Domingue was recalled from AHL’s affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. Although backup goalie Jonathan Quick is expected to received the nod during Shesterkin’s absence, the 32-year-old goalie could be in net, especially considering New York will face back-to-back games against Washington and Chicago.
Shesterkin, who signed an eight-year, $92-million contract, became the highest-paid goalie in NHL history. However, his performance so far hasn’t lived up to his lofty deal, though this can partly be attributed to the team’s struggles. Shesterkin is 11-15-1 this season, allowing an average of 3.10 goals per game, ranking 49th among NHL goalies with at least ten games played.
Laviolette voices frustration amid slump
The Rangers had started off the season in dominant fashion, boasting a 12-4-1 record midway through November. However, the tide has turned, and New York has looked unrecognizable ever since. Now, the Blueshirts have lost eight of the past ten games, and since Nov. 20 they own a 4-15-0 record.
“That’s the business, it’s winning. It’s not good enough,” Peter Laviolette stated, via The New York Post. “We did enough to win the game, we did enough to lose the game. It is frustrating because you feel like you’re doing more good than you are bad out there. At the end of the day, it’s not showing on the scoreboard.“
Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers looks on during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on February 22, 2024.
Ironically, the Rangers are still the NHL’s current Presidents’ Trophy winners, yet they now find themselves stuck at the bottom of the Metro Division. In the words of Hoboken, New Jersey’s own Frank Sinatra: ‘That’s life.
see also
NHL News: Rangers HC Peter Laviolette issues blunt admission after fourth straight loss
The Rangers have been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a king. They’ve been up and down, and over and out. Now, they must pick themselves up and get back in the race for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
