Rangers concern after Igor Shesterkin sustains scary injury vs. Mammoth
Igor Shesterkin sustained a lower-body injury and needed help leaving the ice during the first period of the New York Rangers’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth on Monday night at Madison Square Garden.
The 30-year-old goalie writhed in pain after he fell back into his net following a slight collision with Mammoth forward J.J. Peterka at the 13-minute mark of the opening period. Shesterkin made a right-pad save — his ninth of the period — as Peterka drove hard down the middle of ice with a step on Rangers defenseman Braden Schneider. The rebound eluded Peterka, who jammed on the brakes in an effort to a collision with the Rangers netminder at the top of the blue paint, though there was minimal contact made with the right leg.
Still, Shesterkin awkwardly fell backward, and it’s difficult to tell when exactly the injury occurred, or what the specific injury is.
Defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov helped Shesterkin off the ice, along with the Rangers trainer. Shesterkin didn’t put weight on his left leg, even though that was the one untouched by Peterka.
The Rangers announced before the start of the second period that Shesterkin wouldn’t return to the game. Afterward, coach Mike Sullivan said only that the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner as top goalie in the NHL was being evaluated for a lower-body issue.
“Obviously, we don’t want him to get hurt, he’s an important part of this team, and hopefully it’s not too serious,” Sullivan said postgame. “Obviously, they’re going to do more tests on him. Right now, he’s being evaluated.”
Jonathan Quick replaced Shesterkin and made three saves over the final seven minutes of the first period, including one against Peterka on a breakaway, to keep the game scoreless. He stopped 14 of 17 shots in relief, but allowed the game-winner to Mammoth defenseman Sean Durzi at 1:06 of overtime.
The feisty 39-year-old took exception when Utah’s Daniil But backed into him two minutes into the second period. Likely fired up after Shesterkin’s injury, Quick went after But and started a mini-melee behind the Rangers net.
But was assessed a minor penalty for goaltender interference, and Quick got a roughing minor.
Quick wasn’t thrilled again when Utah’s Michael Carcone drove to the net, scored to tie the game 2-2 at 6:15 of the third period, then slid into him after the puck crossed the goal line following body contact with defenseman Urho Vaakanainen. When Carcone stood up to celebrate his eighth goal, Quick reached out with his stick and tried to trip the Utah forward, who ignored the aggression.
If Shesterkin is out for any stretch of time, Quick is a solid option to step in, considering he’s a three-time Stanley Cup champion and winningest United States-born goalie in NHL history. In 11 appearances (10 starts) this season, Quick has a 2.23 goals-against average and .919 save percentage.
However, approaching his 40th birthday later this month, Quick is best suited for a backup role at this stage of his career.
“‘Quickie’ is a fierce competitor. He’s still an excellent goalie … and he’s very capable,” Sullivan said.
Rangers hope for best after Igor Shesterkin sustains lower-body injury
Any injury to their star goalie is a blow for the Rangers. But if Shesterkin’s out long term, it could crush their playoff hopes. The Rangers (20-18-6) are in the thick of the tight Eastern Conference standings, but own the lowest points percentage (.523) in the conference, even if they’re only three points out of the second wild card.
Shesterkin is a major reason why the Rangers remain in playoff contention after an uneven first half. In the first season of his record-breaking eight-year, $11.5 million AAV contract, Shesterkin’s started a League-high 34 games and began Monday tied for second with 17 wins. He allowed two goals or fewer 17 times (not including Monday), second most among NHL goalies.
His 2.45 goals-against average and .913 save percentage each are much better than a year ago (2.86 GAA; .905 save percentage), when the Rangers failed to make the playoffs. And his 14.8 goals saved above expected are third-most in the NHL, per MoneyPuck.
“There are certain guys that drive your team, and he’s one of them for us,” Sullivan explained. “He’s an elite player at his position. I think he’s one of the very best in the game. And when you lose a player like for any length of time, those players are difficult to replace.”
In a bitter piece of irony, Shesterkin stopped 36 of 37 shots to lead the Rangers to an extremely uplifting 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers at the 2026 NHL Winter Classic in Miami on Friday, their previous game before hosting the Mammoth.
This is the latest in a long line of injuries to key players already this season for the Rangers. Center Vincent Trocheck and defenseman Adam Fox each missed 14 games with an upper-body-injury; rugged forward Matt Rempe was out nearly two months after breaking his thumb in a fight; Quick missed two weeks with a lower-body injury; captain J.T. Miller remains out with an upper-body injury; and forwards Noah Laba (upper body), Adam Edstrom (lower body), and Conor Sheary (lower body) each is currently sidelined.
