Comparing Rangers, Devils, Islanders Starting Goalies

You'll have to agree – but you don't have to if you don't really want to – that goaltending  will go a long way toward determining whether the Rangers, Islanders and Devils make the playoffs.

(Don't ask me to pick a winner now; it's still July.)

This past year only the Devils gained the postseason while both the Isles and Blueshirts missed. Next fall all three of the clubs will retain their top goalkeepers Jacob Markstrom in Newark, Igor Shesterkin in Manhattan and Ilya Sorokin on the Island. 

To understate the issue, they bear watching.

Markstrom, obtained from Calgary, did what he was supposed to do; he gave the Devils just enough de luxe stopping to get them into the real season, alias the playoffs. 

Shesterkin disappointed. Period: Sorokin was overworked and too often injured to be a positive factor. 

What can we expect going forward? For the answer to that The Maven imported my Vice President In Charge Of Goalie Knowledge, the eminent Mel Melzer. Take it away,

Mel: "All three Met goalies are in remarkably similar situations," Melzer says. "We're talking about elite talents, but who have yet to truly cement their legacies in the postseason. Shesterkin already claimed a Vezina Trophy which meant that for one year at least he was the league's best. Ditto for Markstrom. But that's ancient history.

"Even though Sorokin has no Vezina to brag about ,he has been consistently elite. He was hobbled by a team weakened by injuries all season. Still, his performances have shown that he's on the Markstrom-Shesterkin level."

What's missing in each case?

Melzer: "What ties them together is not just raw ability but the need to evolve from being 'great goalies'  into the guy who wins when it matters most. Playoff greatness still eludes them. It's not a matter of skill, it's a mindset shift that's necessary.

"Until that shift happens, we're left with tantalizing potential that hasn't translated into  springtime success."

Because of the natural New York-New York rivalry between the Rangers and Islanders, "Who's Better?" debates rage on between the respective fan bases. With that in mind, The Maven asked Mel to pick a winner.

"Stylistically, Shesterkin and Sorokin mirror one another. Each is instinctive, agile and technically sound; not to mention emotionally composed. Watching Igor or Ilya in peak form is like a master class in modern goaltending." (Hmmm. No winner here.)

What about Markstrom? Is he better than the two Russians?

"The Swede brings a different flavor," Mel explains. "He has that towering frame and an authoritative presence. When he's on, he can look utterly unbeatable."

The issue here is that he has not been "on" enough.

"Let's face it," Mel concludes, "potential only gets you so far. It didn't the Rangers into the playoffs nor the Islanders and the Devils were gone faster than you can say 'Stop the puckl, Jake!'"

Then, a pause: "The pressure on all three is mounting. The 2025-26 season – especially the playoffs – will be a defining chapter for all three!"