Rangers Roundup: Igor Shesterkin gets the start, practice updates, and NHL removes referee Tim Peel after hot mic incident
The Rangers will indeed get their #1 goalie back for tomorrow’s pivotal matchup against the Flyers. The team announced amusingly on their social media feed that Igor Shesterkin will play in PhIladelphia. If the Rangers can beat the Flyers they will tie them for fifth place and be two points behind the Bruins for fourth.
This season, Shesterkin is tied for 9th in the league with a .921 SV%. His GAA of 2.31 is good for 12th and among rookies goalies his SV% is tied for second. His record is 6-7-1.
New York Rangers practice buzz
Everyone who practiced today is expected to join the team on the road. That includes Vitali Kravtsov who will not play tomorrow. Fill in coach Kris Knoblauch noted that the decision as to when he will play comes from the top and David Quinn.
Phil Di Giuseppe should make the trip if he passes a cardiac test before coming off COVID protocols. David Quinn is feeling better but the plan is to have Knoblauch coach tomorrow and go from there.
NHL removes controversial referee Tim Peel
Details were scarce since no comments came from the referees about the call or the hot mic incident. Apparently the Predators were up 1-0 in the game thanks to Mikael Granlund’s first period goal when the ref admitted he wanted to get a penalty on Nashville early in the second.
“It wasn’t much, but I wanted to get a (expletive) penalty against Nashville early in the,” the unidentified official was heard saying before his microphone was cut off after Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson was called for a tripping penalty at 4:56 of the second period.
AP
The actual hot mic incident was caught on replay of the penalty during the broadcast and posted by several people on social media. It was later determined that the ref was Tim Peel on the mic. The NHL’s Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell said they were investigating the incident late yesterday and the verdict is now in.
League offices released a statement today on that matter which read:
“Nothing is more important than ensuring the integrity of our game,” Campbell said. “Tim Peel’s conduct is in direct contradiction to the adherence to that cornerstone principle that we demand of our officials and that our fans, players, coaches and all those associated with our game expect and deserve. There is no justification for his comments, no matter the context or his intention, and the National Hockey League will take any and all steps necessary to protect the integrity our game.”
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