New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) gave a no-holds-barred take on the club’s season performance. (Credit: IMAGN)
New York Rangers star goalie Igor Shesterkin minced no words to summarize his team’s season after Saturday’s 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes mathematically eliminated the Rangers from playoff contention.
New York Post reporter Mollie Walker asked Shesterkin what the level of disappointment was for the Rangers on Sunday.
“Pretty high,” Shesterkin said. “10/10.”
New York – who won the President’s Trophy last season – will now miss the playoffs for the first time in four years. They have lost four of their previous five games and, as a result, dropped away from the race for the final playoff Wild Card spot in the East.
“It’s disappointing for everybody,” New York coach Peter Laviolette said via NHL.com. “That certainly wasn’t anybody’s plan coming into the year, especially coming off of last year. And yet here we are. We had opportunities over the last 20 games to make our own noise and make our own way, and we didn’t do that. So it’s on us. We needed to do better.”
The Rangers have seen a worrying dip in production and performance this season, becoming only the fourth team in NHL history not to make the playoffs the season after winning the President’s Trophy. Analysts have pointed to friction between their front office and then-captain Jacob Trouba, missteps in the trade market and a lack of team coordination as reasons for the team’s lack of success this season.
The numbers also back up these assertions: the New York Rangers have failed to win a game where they trailed by two goals or more all season. They are also ranked 27th in the league in terms of scoring power-play goals.
Rangers signed Igor Shesterkin for eight more years
The New York Rangers managing to sign a new deal with their star goalie is one bright spot in an otherwise gloomy season. On Dec. 7, they tied Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million contract that kicks in next season. He also reportedly has a full no-move clause, which means he might remain with the Rangers for the full term of his contract.
Shesterkin – who has 26 wins from 60 games this season with a goals-against average of 2.91 and a save percentage of .902 – might be a far cry from his Vezina Trophy-winning season in 2021-22. Still, they also reflect the Rangers’s defensive unit’s struggles this season.