Led by 2022 Vezina Trophy-winner Igor Shesterkin and backed up by future Hall of Famer and three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick, the New York Rangers boast one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL. But the dynamic duo goes well beyond on-ice production.
“Quick’s arrival had only a positive effect on me. He is a great goalie and person,” Shesterkin raved in an interview with Daria Tuboltseva for Rg.com. “Quick can adjust to you. If you want, he can talk to you like an experienced guy and maybe even a best friend. It’s nice to have such a colleague with so much experience.”
Expectations were minimal for Quick, who was coming off one of his worst seasons with a 3.41 GAA and .882 save percentage in 2022-23. In a heartwarming twist, however, the all-time United States-born wins leader in the NHL returned to form, posting a .911 save percentage and 2.62 goals-against average, to go along with an 18-6-2 record in 27 games (26 starts)
Shesterkin finished top-five in Vezina Trophy voting for the second time in five NHL seasons, ending the 2023-24 season with a .912 save percentage and 2.58 GAA. But despite the Rangers overwhelming success, culminating in a Presidents’ Trophy with a franchise record 55 wins and 114 points, it was not always smooth sailing for the elite netminder.
In a nearly two-month span from Dec. 5 until the NHL All-Star Break at the start of February, Shesterkin struggled mightily, recording an .884 save percentage and 3.08 GAA. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game, although he would later say he believed Quick deserved it instead of him.
Quick had indeed been brilliant, keeping the Rangers ticking amid Shesterkin’s struggles with a 10-4-2 record, 2.43 GAA and .915 save percentage in his 17 games prior to the All-Star festivities. The 38-year-old help off the ice with Shesterkin proved to be equally valuable.
“John helped me find myself, calm down, and continue doing my job,” Shesterkin explained. “I watched him play, enjoyed it, and noticed something for myself. And step by step, I found my game.”
Found his game, Shesterkin most certainly did. The 28-year-old returned to form following All-Star break, posting a 17-5-1 record, .929 save percentage and 2.20 GAA in his final 23 games of the regular season.
That would carry right into the postseason, when he had a 2.34 GAA and .927 save percentage that trailed only Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins (.933). Shesterkin’s 13.1 Goals Saved Above Expected was second among all postseason goaltenders, once again only behind Swayman.
“I was unhappy with the regular season, and then I was happy,” Shesterkin said. “Now, I don’t want to think about what was right and what was wrong. I want to concentrate on the positive moments.”
Igor Shesterkin enjoyed playing under new Rangers coach
Quick wasn’t the only new addition that had a positive impact on Shesterkin last season. There was also coach Peter Laviolette, who replaced Gerard Gallant ahead of the 2023-24 campaign.
“Everything was positive,” Shesterkin noted. “Our game system has changed. Laviolette pays much attention to detail. We have many team meetings. We added team games that brought the team together.”
Laviolette’s practice routine led the Blueshirts to the best regular season in their 97-year franchise history. While the team came up short of the Stanley Cup Final in the postseason, falling to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in the conference final, Laviolette received praise from several Rangers for his intense practices.
Shesterkin also noted that despite his first-half struggles, Laviolette’s faith never wavered.
“There was no talk about me losing my No. 1 position,” Shesterkin said. “Basically, it was about the fact that I needed to calm down and find my game.”
Shesterkin rewarded Laviolette’s faith with superb play down the stretch, standing on his head to force the Eastern Conference Final to six games, despite the Panthers thoroughly outshooting the Blueshirts by 51 across the entire series.
Now Shesterkin returns for one final season under his current contract, set to become an unrestricted free agent at the close of the 2024-25 season, with both Quick and Laviolette returning for a second season on Broadway.
As for Shesterkin, he remains dead set on bringing a Stanley Cup home to New York.
“We must wake up every day believing we want to win the Cup. And then everything will happen.”
