Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin offered one other standout efficiency with 37 saves and two assists, on targets by Mika Zibanejad and Filip Chytil, because the Rangers prolonged their season no less than another sport. Shesterkin grew to become the fifth goaltender to document a number of assists in a playoff sport and the primary Ranger with three in a single postseason (John Vanbiesbrouck had two in 1986 and three total).
“It’s at all times nice to have a goalie whose subsequent step is to start out scoring targets,” Artemi Panarin, a Rangers ahead from Russia, mentioned by way of an interpreter.
However Shesterkin’s actual contribution is stopping pucks, which he did by walling off Sebastian Aho on an early breakaway, one of many vital moments of Recreation 6. Shesterkin has been bedrock for the Rangers, and a main purpose the crew feels assured it may well lastly finish Carolina’s house domination, of their final likelihood to take action.
“We now have to play how we play at house,” Chytil mentioned. “I don’t know what the distinction for us is to play on the highway. Within the first sequence, we discovered a strategy to win in Pittsburgh. I do know they’ve the followers and the constructing they’re used to. However we’ve to play arduous and play our sport and don’t give attention to another factor, simply give attention to the sport and we will win the sport.”
However there may be one other facet to that equation that will additionally appear to favor the Rangers. Whereas Shesterkin has been totally reliable courting again to the ultimate three video games towards the Penguins, his Carolina counterpart, Antti Raanta, simply hit a possible psychological snag.
After Raanta allowed three targets lower than 24 minutes into the sport, together with one or two that he may have saved, Brind’Amour sat him down in favor of Pyotr Kochetkov, the backup to the backup.
Raanta has performed past expectations since stepping in for Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes’ lead goalie, who has been sidelined since April with an undisclosed lower-body damage. Raanta, a former Ranger, has spent most of his N.H.L. profession as a backup, however he has performed nicely within the playoffs, posting a 2.20 goals-against common, together with Saturday’s loss.
