They are also the first NHL team to be shut out in five of their first seven home games since the 1928-29 Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Rangers held a 33-26 edge in shots on goal, as well as a 12-9 edge in high-danger chances on Saturday, according to Natural Stat Trick, but actually scoring goals on home ice continues to elude them.

“To be honest and fair, I don’t think enough of the Rangers worked on their shot all summer,” MSG analyst and former NHL goaltender Steve Valiquette said postgame. “I’m not seeing one-timers from either flank, I’m not seeing quick releases off of first touch, I’m not seeing any corners hit tonight again.”

“There was a lot of breadbasket. That looked like a group of guys that haven’t been working on their shot. That was a tough watch.”

“If they’re feeling their shot every day in practice and they’re building that confidence, it should change the way they feel when the puck drops Monday at 7:05 [p.m.].”

The Rangers look to end this mind-boggling winless streak on home ice Monday, when they host the struggling Nashville Predators (5-8-2), who’ve lost four straight (0-2-2).

Strangely enough, confidence should not have been an issue going into the game Saturday against the Islanders. Less than 24 hours earlier, the Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1, buoyed by a one-goal, three-point effort from Artemi Panarin, who broke out after shaving his head for good luck.

Studio host John Giannone countered Valiquette’s critique, arguing that the win in Detroit should provide the requisite boost to New York’s psyche.

“I agree. The only thing I can tell you is what I’m seeing statistically,” Valiquette replied. “Everything at home is breadbasket or on-the-ice pads.

“You can have a one-timer from the slot, and if it’s middle of net, I’m telling you every goalie out of the 71 goalies that have played at least a minute in the NHL this year will make a save there. It’s almost like you can discount the scoring chance, and that’s what I’m seeing.”

That could explain why the Rangers have 20.74 expected goals on home ice, but scored just six times in seven games. The loss to the Islanders was another prime example, with many of their high-quality looks ending up right in the stomach of goalie Ilya Sorokin, who stopped all 33 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season.

“On the road, seeing something completely different — corners, five-hole shots, low-glove, low-blocker, hitting their spots,” Valiquette explained. “I can’t explain it beyond what I’m seeing with you and the rest of the fans, and then what I see the morning after when I do all of the shots on goal review. They hit corners on the road, and they hit middle of net or low pads at home.”

The Rangers own the best road record in the NHL (7-1-1), outscoring opponents 29-17. The narrative completely flips at The Garden, where New York is outscored 23-6. True, seven of the goals allowed were empty-netters. But on the other hand, five of the goals New York scored came in one game, a 6-5 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23.

Even after the latest defeat, the Rangers rank third in expected goals for percentage at 5-on-5 — but it’s little consolation as the home woes persist.

“Anything else? I’m as frustrated as anyone else,” Valiquette remarked.

Steve Valiquette chides Rangers for lack of composure in loss to Islanders

Valiquette was far from the only one frustrated Saturday.

On a night when the Rangers honored key milestones and moments in franchise history as part of a centennial season celebration, the game itself provided little to look back upon fondly.

In the first period, Mika Zibanejad slammed the bench door in frustration, following a sequence when he rang a shot off the crossbar and fired wide on a one-timer. Late in the third period, captain J.T. Miller broke his stick on the Rangers net after Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored an empty-netter to seal the Islanders win.

😬 pic.twitter.com/hQX9qBwzgq

— Rob Taub (@RTaub_) November 9, 2025

“They got frustrated, and visibly frustrated from their leadership guys,” Valiquette remarked. “It’s not a good look, John. You can’t lose your composure. In my lifetime in hockey, I’ve never seen anybody improve when they get frustrated. It’s like it stops dead in its tracks, everything does.

“The captain does it, the leadership guys do it, guess what, everybody thinks it’s okay. Next, you’re gonna see [Noah] Laba starting to slam the door and break sticks. Is that a good look for the young guys? No.”

The Rangers came out of the gates hot, tilting the ice for the opening 10 minutes, but couldn’t beat Sorokin.

#NYR are flying.

— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) November 9, 2025

When the Islanders struck first, ultimately taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission, it seemingly halted any momentum the Blueshirts had.

“We’re human. It’s hard,” Miller noted postgame, acknowledging the psychological element to the home slump. “It’s a lot of zeroes at home for us. We’ve gotta be able to stay the course.”

“Ten minutes of hockey is gonna frustrate you out of 60? That can’t unravel you,” Valiquette chided. “This is a game that’s gonna push the best every night in this League, and anybody worth their salt knows that they play through it. It’s next man up, and you go.”

The Rangers mounted a strong push in the latter portion of the third period, but it was too little, too late. As the disparity between New York’s home and road results widens, so does the pressure to finally break through with a win at MSG.

“I understand the frustration now, but they’ve gotta stay focused here,” urged Valiquette. “This is a story that’s become League-wide now, and that’s the worst thing to go through at the beginning of the season when there’s so much attention on this stuff.”

A combination of goalie revivals, the brilliance of Rangers director of goaltending Benoit Allaire, and solid management decisions have contributed to this success.

Quick, the all-time NHL leader among United States-born goalies in wins, tops this list. He signed a one-year deal with his favorite childhood team on July 1, 2023, and has had a career renaissance since. After starting 9-0-1 in his first 10 games last season, the 38-year-old’s dominance in net eventually earned him another one-year deal to return as Igor Shesterkin’s backup this season.

Quick ended last season with an 18-6-2 record, two shutouts, and a .911 save percentage This season, Quick has picked up right where he left off. After recording back-to-back shutouts against the Detroit Red Wings and Seattle Kraken, Quick is 4-0-0 with a microscopic 0.91 goals-against average and .970 save percentage in five games (four starts).

The three-time Stanley Cup champion has aged like fine wine and is three wins away from 400. He would become the first U.S.-born goalie to reach this milestone and just the 15th in League history.

It’s easy to make the case that the Shesterkin-Quick pair is the best goalie tandem in the NHL.

Quick is simply carrying the torch for a string of excellent backup goalies have had since the Lundqvist era.

Related: Jonathan Quick’s classy move tops off rookie goalie’s big night after Flames defeat Rangers

After Jonathan Quick, top 5 Rangers backup goalies in past 2 decades

Let’s break down the top five backup goalies in the past two decades for the Rangers, other than Quick.

5. Steve Valiquette

Now the face of Rangers pre- and post-game coverage on MSG Networks, Steve Valiquette made his Rangers debut in the 2003-04 season, but made his mark as Lundqvist’s backup from 2007-09. He played 28 games those two seasons and was 10-8-5 with three shutouts. In 2007-08, he had an NHL career-best 2.19 GAA and .916 save percentage in 13 games (10 starts).

In all, he played 41 games for the Rangers into the 2009-10 season, his last in the NHL.

4. Martin Biron

Martin Biron played 16 NHL seasons with the Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, New York Islanders, and Buffalo Sabres. He joined the Rangers at the start of 2010-11 to back up Lundqvist. Although he played only 17 games that season, Biron posted NHL career bests in save percentage (.923) and goals-against average (2.13)

The Quebec native finished his NHL career with the Rangers. He had a 22-15-3 record in New York with two shutouts, a .908 save percentage and 2.47 GAA. He and Lundqvist were a standout veteran duo who became good friends during Biron’s tenure with the Rangers.

Biron now works on Sabres broadcasts, RDS in Quebec and NHL Radio Network.

3. Alexandar Georgiev

Alexandar Georgiev was a Lundqvist backup and then split time with The King and later Igor Shesterkin. Georgiev was a serviceable goalie during five seasons with the Rangers, before moving on to become a workhorse in Coloroado as the No. 1 with the Avalanche.

He recorded a .908 save percentage in 129 games with the Rangers, playing a lot more than backups did during Lundqvist’s busy heyday. Georgiev ended up being more than a backup, really a 1B, but was never fully a No. 1 with the Rangers.

2. Antti Raanta

Antti Raanta spent two seasons with the Rangers after the team acquired him from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. He served as Lundqvist’s backup in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Raanta was 27-14-4 in 55 games (44 starts) in two seasons, with a 2.25 GAA , .921 save percentage, and five shutouts. Raanta recorded an NHL career-high four shutouts in 26 starts in 2016-17.

In a shocking trade before the 2017 NHL Draft, the Rangers sent Raanta and Derek Stepan to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Tony DeAngelo and the No. 7 pick, which was used to select disappointing center Lias Andersson. He left the NHL after playing with the Carolina Hurricanes last season.

1. Cam Talbot

There was one clear answer for the best Rangers backup goalie in the Henrik Lundqvist era. Cam Talbot emerged on the scene in New York after Biron retired once the 2013-14 season started. Talbot was 12-6-1 as a rookie with a 1.64 goals against average and a .941 save percentage.

Talbot really emerged the following season after Lundqvist ruptured a blood vessel in his neck in February. He started 23 of 25 games when Lunqvist was sidelined, winning 16. He finished the 2014-15 season with a 17-4-3 record and a lower goals against average (2.21) and save percentage (.926) than Lundqvist. However, it was Lundqvist who led them in the playoffs to the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

Still, Talbot’s emergence as the starter was crucial to the Rangers winning the Presidents’ Trophy that season. He was awarded the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award for his play. After the season, Talbot was traded to the Edmonton Oilers to be their No. 1.

During the first intermission, Valiquette called the Rangers nemesis an “idiot” when discussing a roughing penalty Wilson was assessed in the final seconds of the first period.

“The thing about him, right, he’s an idiot,” the former Rangers goalie and current television analyst said.

Vally on Wilson: "The thing about him is right, he's an idiot" 😂 Vally's the best ❤️ #NYR pic.twitter.com/mTycxsX85O

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) April 29, 2024

Wilson was penalized after he grabbed Adam Fox when the Rangers defenseman was on his way to celebrate Vincent Trocheck’s power-play goal at 19:45 of the first period with his teammates behind the Capitals net. The rugged forward roughed up Fox, who lost his helmet in the scrum before Chris Kreider came to his defense.

Related: Rangers captain admits he’d hate to play against Matte Rempe

Tom Wilson adds to long history as Rangers nemesis

Why Wilson was so angry at Fox is up for debate. It could be that he believed Fox embellished a tripping penalty against Washington defenseman Nick Jensen, which was a knee-on-knee hit.

Fox stayed down on the ice and appeared to be in signifcent pain. He was able to get up on his own, skate around and wanted to stay on the ice for the start of the power play. However, he was ushered to the Rangers bench.

Adam Fox and Nick Jensen collide knee-on-knee#NYR | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/8EMMGVnr2G

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 29, 2024

Fox ended up back on the ice and started the passing sequence that ended up with Trocheck’s goal that gave New York a 2-1 lead.

The Capitals killed off Wilson’s minor penalty that carried into the second period.

On air, Valiquette further explained his “idiot” comment, after admitting “you like to have those guys on your team.”

“You know the way he’s going to behave, it’s not the way he should behave,” Valiquette explained. “You don’t grab a guy, Fox, when he’s going on his way to celebrate with his teammates, you wait for the next scrum to get in there and mix it up.”

Tom Wilson grabbed Adam Fox after the Trocheck goal and was penalized accordingly#NYR | #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/3HKNFIRLgl

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 29, 2024

Valiquette also referenced the infamous 2021 incident when Wilson “ragdolled” Rangers star Artemi Panarin during a wild brawl at Madison Square Garden. Since then, Wilson has been among the most hated opponents at MSG.

This incident, though less severe, won’t endear him to the Rangers — nor their broadcasters, obviously.

In that month, Shesterkin sported one of the worst goals-against averages and save percentages among all goalies with at least eight starts. Despite that, he was sent as the Rangers representative to the 2024 NHL All-Star game in Toronto and seemingly found his game out of thin air.

“You get to a point where you get fed up,” MSG analyst Steve Valiquette told Forever Blueshirts on Thursday. “It’s almost like he decided, ‘I’m fed up playing like this. I’m playing like crap, I feel terrible about myself. I’m just going to go out there and compete.’”  

And compete he did.

Since February 1st, Shesterkin has been the best goalie on the planet. His .930 save percentage and four shutouts in 23 starts is first in the NHL over that stretch. Couple that with a 2.30 goals-against average, which ranks him third in that category, and you have a netminder playing his best hockey at the right time.

Related: Looking back at preseason predictions

Steve Valiquette on Igor Shesterkin turnaround for Rangers

In the first half of the season, you would see games spiral out of control for Shesterkin. Before the All-Star break, he allowed five or more goals five times, and he posted a sub .800 save percentage in six games during that stretch.

“It wasn’t that he was systematically playing incorrectly or his technique was off or he was physically exhausted. I thought he was just mentally going through the rigors of what it’s like to be an NHL goalie,” Valiquette said.

When Igor was at the lowest point of his season, he was having pucks go straight through him. Specifically, he would be getting beat over the high glove side. Statistically, he was one of the worst goalies in the League in that area, and since the All-Star break it’s still a hole in his game, but he’s been able to better control that issue.

According to Valiquette, Shesterkin has allowed the fifth most goals over the glove since the All-Star break. Oddly enough, Washington Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren has allowed the most over that time, which should make for an interesting sidebar in their first-round series.

“I think that’s the hardest thing about playing in the NHL as a goalie year after year,” Valiquette explained. “Everyone’s looking at you, there’s a book on you and if they find one crack, they look to expose it.”

For the Rangers to have any hope of winning the Stanley Cup this year, Shesterkin has to continue to be the player he has been in the second half of the season. It all starts on Sunday afternoon against a Capitals team that doesn’t test goalies too much with their number of chances.

Note: MSG Networks is covering the first-round series. Steve Valiquette, Henrik Lundqvist, and John Giannone will be in the studio. Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti will be on the call. Game 1 is set for Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on MSG.

Upon returning to action in 2005-06, New York finally had the chance to let Henrik Lundqvist play, their hidden gem from the 2000 NHL Entry Draft. By the time he reached Broadway, he was already voted Sweden’s player of the year, a two-time SHL champion, and a Silver Medalist at the World Championships. Ultimately, he was the goalie of the future and immediately dressed in 53 games in his first season, compiling a 30-12-8 record. 

Realistically, when Lundqvist started his first game, he ushered in a new era for the franchise, becoming their number-one goalie for the next 15 seasons, playing in 887 games. Although he ended up splitting the duties in his final season (2019-20) with Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin, the official history of starters in New York since 2005 goes directly from Lundqvist to Shesterkin. 

Statistically, for the last 18 years, the Rangers have had a bona fide starter, with Lundqvist and Shesterkin skating in 1,045 games, or 74.4% of the club’s games (1,404). Additionally, they combined to win 558 contests, which surprisingly accounts for 74.3% of the team’s 751 wins during this time.

So, after acquiring three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick this summer to replace Jaroslav Halak, he becomes the 18th netminder (excluding Lundqvist and Shesterkin) to put on a Rangers sweater since 2006.

In this article, we’ll explore who the backups were, their statistics, and impact on the team over the past 18 seasons. 

Related: Reliving Henrik Lundqvist’s Vezina winning season

Henrik Lundqvist had many partners in his first nine seasons

In 2005-06, the Rangers employed three goalies: Lundqvist, Kevin Weekes, and Chris Holt. As mentioned, King Henrik started the most games with 53, while Weekes played in 32 and Holt dressed for one. Interestingly, Weekes returned in 2006-07, skating in 14 games, while Holt never played for New York again. 

During that 2006-07 season, Steve Valiquette made a few appearances (three) to kick start a run as the official team backup, a role he had for three seasons. Altogether, during this stretch, he played in 34 games over three seasons, eventually sharing the duties with Chad Johnson (five games), Matt Zaba (one game), and Alex Auld (three games) in 2009-10. 

Johnson would see his tenure extend into the 2010-11 season (one game), joining recently acquired free agent Martin Biron (17 games) during his first season in New York. Eventually, Biron would hold down a spot in the lineup until 2013-14, playing in 29 games, before Cam Talbot joined the ranks with 21 appearances that year. Although Talbot only played two campaigns with the Rangers, appearing in an additional 36 games in 2014-15, he shared the bench with Mackenzie Skapski, who played twice that season. 

During his first nine years in the league, Lundqvist shared the crease with ten goalies, who played 199 games and combined for an 89-66-19 record (44% win percentage), compared to his 620 games and 339-208-65 record (54% win percentage). 

New York Rangers goalie shuffle

Starting in 2015-16, Lundqvist shared the crease for two seasons with Magnus Hellberg (three games) and Annti Raanta (55 games). Then, in 2017-18, the Rangers employed Ondrej Pavelec (19 games), Brandon Halverson (one game), and Georgiev (10 games). Ultimately, that year marked the beginning of the Georgiev era since he would be Lundqvist’s only partner in 2018-19 (33 games) before Shesterkin debuted, playing 12 times in 2019-20. Although New York had three world-class netminders on the roster, Georgiev led the trio with 34 games during the shortened season. 

After the Rangers bought out Lundqvist’s contract after the 2019-20 campaign, Shesterkin became the number one, resulting in fewer games for Georgiev. During the 2020-21 season, he skated in 19 games, while Keith Kinkaid came up for nine. Ultimately, the duo continued playing behind Shesterkin in 2021-22, with Georgiev working 33 games, Kinkaid one game, and Adam Huska playing once.   

Once Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy in 2021-22, the team let Georgiev walk in free agency (signed with the Colorado Avalanche) and restructured their goalie platoon by signing free agent Jaroslav Halak. Realistically, at 37 years old, Halak was on the backend of his career and played just 25 games, which is what fans should expect for 37-year-old Quick during the 2023-24 season.

As the Rangers dealt with the end of Lundqvist’s Hall of Fame career while ushering in the Shesterkin era simultaneously, the team employed eight netminders to serve as backup since the 2015-16 campaign. Ultimately, these skaters played in 243 games and earned a 104-83-22 record, equalling a 42.7 win percentage. Meanwhile, Lundqvist and Shesterkin combined for 425 games, a 219-144-46 record, and a 51.5 win percentage.

Historical Perspective

Without splitting hairs, the recent Rangers’ starting goalie lineage dates back to 1989-90, when Mike Richter debuted. Immediately after he retired due to concussions in 2002-03, the team scrambled to find his replacement, running with five netminders in 2003-04. 

During his 14 years between the pipes, Richter backstopped New York to a Stanley Cup victory in 1994, playing 666 games and compiling a 301-258-73 record. Interestingly, the team relied on 16 backup goalies to play on his off days, with these players dressing in 529 games, registering a subpar 196-220-64 record. 

Overall, since 1989-90, the year Richter debuted on Broadway, the Rangers have played 2598 contests, with a 1275-1027-144-152 record. Collectively, Richter, Lundqvist, and Shesterkin combined to skate in 1711 games (65.68%) and earned an 859-610-73-111 record. Meanwhile, during this time frame, the 34 backups combined to play in 971 games, sporting a 389-369-64-41 record. 

Before anyone gets their calculators out to highlight any errors, there is a difference between the two totals, 27-48-7, the record of the 2003-04 Rangers, who employed five goalies between the Richter and Lundqvist eras. 

Ultimately, New York’s number one goalies have won 50.2% of their games over 30 years, while the plethora of backups is less at 40.0%. Considering the Rangers have won 49.0% of their regular season games since 1989, the team has more success when their stars backstopped them on a nightly basis.

We all knew this would be the case. However, it was interesting to see how much action the backups have seen since 1989, given the lengthy injuries sustained by Richter, Lundqvist, and Shesterkin throughout their careers.

The New York Rangers are set to make their return to NHL Playoffs. As they prepare to meet the Pittsburgh Penguins in their opening round series Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, a lot of focus is on Igor Shesterkin.

With this being his first real foray into postseason action when you exclude the 2020 Qualifying Round sweep at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes, there’s a lot of questions surrounding the young netminder.

“I think Shesterkin will handle it fine. It’s still the same game,” Henrik Lundqvist said. “I think the biggest thing going into the playoffs is how you handle pressure and excitement. He showed it since he got here but also back in the KHL that he’s a calm guy and that will help him so much.”

Igor Shesterkin’s lack of NHL playoff experience

When it comes to winning NHL playoff hockey games in New York, few goalies know more than The King.

Lundqvist will always be remembered for carrying the team on numerous occasions, in particular the 2014 Stanley Cup run that fell short. The 39 year-old goalie ended his NHL career with a record of 459-310-96, a .916 SV% and a GAA of 2.43 with 64 shutouts. Simply remarkable numbers.

He was also dubbed Mr. Game 7 for a few seasons and is the New York Rangers leader in playoff games (130), playoff wins (61), and playoff shutouts (10).

So what does he think about Shesterkin’s lack of experience coming in to this series.

“We talk so much about experience but sometimes it’s easier to go in fresh,” Lundqvist explained. “You see a lot of young goalies have success early on in the playoffs because they don’t feel as much pressure. They don’t overthink it and they don’t try to figure out everything. With experience sometimes you think you have all the answers but you don’t. I believe in Igor and he’s going to do fine.”

Henrik also went back into his memory bank and recalled his first ever playoff series back in 2005-2006, an unfortunate sweep at the hands of the New Jersey Devils.

“For me, my first playoffs I had headaches so that was disappointing not feeling 100% physically,” Lundqvist said. “Mentally, I had experienced playoffs back home. It doesn’t matter what level it’s at, the intensity goes up and you learn to work through that as a player.”

Shesterkin is a calm guy

A lot is made of Shesterkin’s calmness under pressure. He rarely ever gets upset when a goal is scored or gets pumped on a big save. His on-ice demeanor is pretty much the same in the locker room.

Lundqvist got to spend some time with Igor when he broke into the NHL during the 2019-20 season.

“He was a pretty quiet guy. I think it was a language barrier thing and I tried to make him comfortable,” Lundqvist recalled. “He worked hard and had a great attitude from day one. The success we’re seeing isn’t a surprise at all.”

Shesterkin has been incredible with the Rangers, posting a record of 62-29-7 with 8 shutouts in his first 100 NHL games. The King weighed in on why he thinks Igor has been able to adjust so quickly.

“I think when you play in this City, it helps to stay in your bubble and not get carried away with ups and downs,” Lundqvist added. “I think he lives his life and focuses on the game, but away from the game he focuses on friends and family. That’s healthy to not to get carried away, but in the end it comes down to being ready when you come to the rink.”

Shesterkin already forgot the regular season

Igor Shesterkin is the leading candidate to win the Vezina Trophy. This season, he posted a 36-13-4 record to carry the Rangers to the playoffs and home-ice advantage in Round one. His .935 SV% and 2.07 GAA lead the league.

For him, that’s all in the past now with the playoffs set to begin.

“It’s a new page for me,” Shesterkin said as relayed by Vince Mercogliano of USA Today. “Regular season is over for me. I already forgot about that.”

When you look at this series with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Hank’s former backup and MSG Analyst Steve Valiquette gave some keen insights.

“I took a look at the scouting for Igor’s game versus what Pittsburgh does well offensively,” Valiquette said. “With Pittsburgh being good at breakaways, rebounds, and east to west plays, those are all plays where Igor Shesterkin over-performs. I think it lines up well for him to have a dominating series.”

Of course, you can’t discount the man behind these great goaltenders. Benoit Allaire has been the Rangers goaltending guru for 17 seasons and his impact shouldn’t be understated.

“Allaire is so good to get his goalies to buy into the process so you’re not thinking about the result,” Valiquette explained. “Igor can’t go into the game thinking, ‘We can’t get behind’. If he gets results driven in his mindset he’ll lose because he won’t be focused on what needs to be accomplished.”

Valiquette than added why it’s unlikely for Shesterkin to fall into that trap.

“I felt like Allaire was always good at keeping us very focused and making us masters of our craft,” he concluded.

Note: Thank you to the New York Rangers and MSG Networks for giving Forever Blueshirts access to today’s Playoff Preview call.

The puck will drop on Game 1 at 7pm tomorrow night, with pregame coverage getting underway on MSG Networks at 630pm. MSG Networks will be airing every game throughout the series, as well as airing a pregame show and expanded one-hour postgame show for every opening round telecast.

Hey #NYR Fans! Save up to HUNDREDS of $$$ in Fees using @Ticket_IQ for #NYR Playoff 🎟️. #nhlplayoffs #tickets https://t.co/m3jJHadWzU pic.twitter.com/yOpcjLd425

— Forever Blueshirts (@4EverBlueshirts) May 2, 2022

NHL Rumors

Check out the latest on the futures of Islanders forward Mathew Barzal. Plus what’s up with the Jets’ Mark Scheifel and Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine.

MSG Network’s top analyst brings it in this episode as we discuss a number of topics coming into the new campaign.

Coming later today, the next episode of the Forever Blueshirts Radio podcast with Steve Valiquette as we preview the #NYR 2020-21 season. Here’s a clip. pic.twitter.com/6G2Fi4jBY2

— Forever Blueshirts (@4EverBlueshirts) January 13, 2021

Steve Valiquette Previews the New York Rangers season

Topics Discussed:

• Expectation for Alexis Lafreniere
• Expectations for Kaapo Kakko
• The Rangers defense
• Expectations for Goaltending
• NYR Breakout Candidate
• And so much more

Forever Blueshirts Radio Podcast #NYR 2020-21 season preview with @VallysView – listen now! https://t.co/Bm02o3FGUk pic.twitter.com/ZgRXc5U5cA

— Forever Blueshirts (@4EverBlueshirts) January 13, 2021

Listen to the Forever Blueshirts Radio Podcast

You can listen to the show on iTunes or stream it in the player below.

The Blueshirts opening qualifying matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes will be the first between the two franchises. Valiquette’s insights are something all Rangers fans will want to hear for what is bound to be an exciting 5 game series.

Valiquette on Rangers and Islanders exhibition game

I asked Steve, what he felt David Quinn would be looking for out of this exhibition match up against the Islanders. His response was centered on feeling the pressure of an opposing player bearing down on you and making good decisions with the puck. The physical aspect was key as well, which he emphasized from his playing days and a story involving Brendan Shanahan.

Valiquette reveals why Igor Shesterkin is the Rangers #1

The former net minder with the great Spider-Man mask, said that Igor Shesterkin is the Rangers starter. Of course, he didn’t dismiss Henrik Lundqvist. Valiquette made it clear, that if Lundqvist were to get in at some point, it would be an angry Hank. For those that don’t know, angry Hank is usually hard to beat.

Valiquette breaks down Carolina’s game and what the Rangers must do to counter

Steve Valiquette has a film coach’s eye and meticulously analyzes what makes the Hurricanes so hard to play against. He also explains what the Rangers need to do in order to counter the Canes puck possession game.

Valiquette reveals why the Rangers are the favorites

MSG is blessed to have some of the best in the business covering the Rangers. However, Steve Valiquette is changing the way we look at the game with his unique brand of analytics.

As only Valiquette can, he reveals the Rangers true edge and why they are a favorite to win the series. It’s simply amazing insight that we are glad to bring you.

Valiquette: From player to broadcaster

I’ve had the pleasure of talking to Steve for a few years now. He is truly passionate about the game of hockey and is excited as to what this new broadcasting experience will bring him.

For the first time, all of the Rangers broadcast team will be in studio and working together. Steve is excited to watch Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti call the game and get that instant feedback with John Giannone in the room.

Funny story, as we talked about his journey to broadcasting, Valiquette recalled his two most hated subjects in school were; public speaking and math. Now here he is on TV discussing numbers. Why? Because he loves it.

MSG is luck to have him, and so are the fans at home watching the game.

MSG’s Playoff Coverage

Below is info from MSG on their upcoming playoff coverage. Check your local listings.

Final Note: Thank you to Steve Valiquette and to MSG Networks for allowing me the opportunity for this special Q&A.

Check out the listings below for full programming schedule starting tonight!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed the “In The Crease” series of posts we’ve been putting out. To complement those posts, which are quick observations, I’m coming out with a new type of series called The View from the Net. As you can tell, my lineage is goaltending (duh) so we’re keeping it goalie themed.

As a goalie (similarly to catching in baseball) you get a great view of the game, it’s systems and breakdowns. Why are John Flaherty and Joe Girardi so well versed in baseball? Why are Steve Valiquette and Kevin Weeks so insightful on all things hockey?

It’s taking that experience into account and bringing it into the film room to break down some things I’m seeing with the New York Rangers and how they should begin to translate going forward. Ahh yes, the good old eye test, it does work.

Power Play Hot, Power Play Cold?

The Rangers PP seemed to have figured it out for a brief minute there and absolutely lit it up. During their six-game winning streak, spanning from Halloween until November 11th, the Rangers man-advantage units punished teams by going a remarkable 9/18. Since then, however, the power play has gone 1/15 (6%), even though the Blueshirts have gone 4-2.

I wouldn’t worry about this though because if you take into account the first twelve games of the season(19.14% success rate) so we’re just seeing microcosms of how teams approach the Rangers Power Play and how the unit adjusts to it.

The third period versus Columbus is a perfect microcosm of the two ways teams defend the Rangers Power Play. The first way is clogging the middle and collapsing. This focuses more on eliminating the puck getting to high danger areas and essentially dares the point to shoot. Having snipers like Shattenkirk, Zibanejad, and Buchnevich neutralizes this defense though, but the shots have to get through as well.

As you’ll see in the video, the second defense is focused more on taking away the shooting lanes. When teams take away the shooting lanes, that’s where the Rangers creativity and playmaking has to be there to make plays. Although that third power play resulted in a goal, you can clearly see that Columbus altered its approach mid-game, pressuring the puck carrier which does open up lanes, but it takes away the direction of the skater. Think of it as a comparison of having a rushing threat and a passing threat. Both have to be working to complement each other properly.

Stick Work

We often miss the little intangibles that happen away from the play or forget them because they didn’t result in a goal for or a goal against. Much of the Rangers mistakes early on were because of not just poor positioning, but giving the opponent too much time and space. On the defensive end, you have the ability to dictate the play without touching the puck by utilizing the right gap and stick positioning at the right time which forces teams to push the puck into low-risk areas.

I noted a lot of great stick work by Nash and Hayes earlier on and you can see it result in offensive chances in this video here, but also to note is the stick work overall.

Looking at this one shot here, you’ll see Nash and Hayes both playing high (in the zone), and while to the naked eye it may go unnoticed, Hayes eliminates the pass to the right side which would result in a 2 on 1 chance with a man’s back turned to the play and is forcing the puck to the Left side defenseman. Nash, also playing high, isn’t overcommitting here though. He’s taking away the lane from the defenseman to the player in the hash marks with his body and takes away a skating lane to the left side boards as well. Forcing a manageable and easy shot for Hank.

Zibanejad has massively improved and has brought it defensively as well. Here’s a view of him defending Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg. Note his stick positioning here as well. He’s forcing Zetterberg into traffic and taking away the cross-ice pass. Once he pushes Zetterberg into traffic, he completely takes away the cross-ice pass.

JT’s Alright

Since being moved to center against Ottawa, Miller’s stat line doesn’t look too good (0G 2A), but he’s a +5 in those four games. He’s seeing the ice differently, but in a good way and there’s a lot of positive to take away from him. I highlighted a few plays in the Detroit game that, while may not result in goals each time, are solid plays that tell me the fundamental game is there, as is the 200-foot game. The goals will start to come and I believe they will come in masses. I’m witnessing an emphasis on net-front presence; he knows when to engage in puck battles and has the skill to win them as well. Lastly, he’s tracking the puck very well in the defensive zone and also deserves some credit with his stick work.

Gap

I’ll have more on this in my next film review, but I have seen an overall improvement from the Rangers’ defensemen with their gap control. Gap control, for those who do not know the term, refers to the manner in which players are defending the oncoming player with their body. The goal is to use your body to take away the more risky route an opponent can take. Most noticeably, I noticed it with Brendan Smith and his improved gap play. Keep an eye out for more on this in the future, but also when you’re watching the Rangers play. Try to look at how the defensemen have been pushing the direction of play and see if you can pick up on it as well.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. Tweet me @TheTiltedIce with any questions or comments or if there’s something you’d like for me to take a look at.