The Rangers’ trend of wasting elite goaltending continued this postseason, culminating in a disheartening season-ending loss in Game 7 of their first-round series against the Devils on Monday night at Prudential Center.
Goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 of the 23 shots he faced in the 4-0 defeat in the winner-take-all contest, bringing his series total to 189 stops on 203 shots.
“I feel bad for Igor,” Adam Fox said after the loss. “He battled all series for us. Feel bad to not be able to get some goals for him. Credit to their goalie, too, he played well, but obviously feel bad for our goalie there for the way he battled. Just kind of feel like we let him down.”
The Blueshirts struggled to clear the puck out of their zone all night, which only made Shesterkin have to work 10 times harder than usual.
Though he usually thrives under a heavier workload, it probably would’ve felt lighter if Shesterkin received some goal support.
No matter if it was at even strength or on the power play, the Rangers were blanked for the second time this series by Devils rookie netminder Akira Schmid, who made 31 saves to help the Devils punch their ticket to the second round and a series with the Hurricanes.
Shesterkin, who finished the postseason with a 1.96 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage, bailed the Rangers out more times than they can count in this series.
The Devils seemed to test the Russian netminder more than the Rangers ever tested Schmid.
Such has been a recurring theme since Shesterkin made his NHL debut during the 2019-20 season.
If there is one positive to take away from this first-round letdown, it’s Shesterkin.
After a rocky season in which he struggled to live up to the high expectations he set for himself thanks to historic season last year, Shesterkin returned to his otherworldly form as soon as it mattered most.
He was hands down the Rangers’ most consistent player in each and every game.
Any NHL team with a goaltender as rock solid as Shesterkin always has a chance.
The Rangers just let another stellar playoff performance from their No. 1 goalie pass them by.
“Shesty was real good,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “That first goal was a tough one to give up, obviously. Then after that, I thought the rest of the second period we gave up too much. We gave up two-on-ones, we gave up odd-man rushes and then they got that second goal. It was tough.”
Chris Kreider skated in his 107th career playoff game, which tied Marc Staal for the second-most among skaters in Rangers history.
The team’s longest-tenured player shouldered almost all of the blame for the loss.
“I personally feel responsible for some of the goals they scored,” he said. “Being a veteran guy, I’m supposed to be defensively responsible. Obviously, I don’t want to be too conservative in a game like this, but I can’t be on the ice for all four goals against and hurt us like that.”
Power Plays
Three stars
1. Akira Schmid
After taking over in net in Game 3, the 22-year-old Schmid competed well beyond his years in his first ever playoff series. He stopped all 28 shots he faced in the Devils’ Game 7 victory, which was his second shutout of the Rangers.
2. Ondrej Palat
Finishing with two key assists Monday night, Palat was a menace on the forecheck all night long, which generated opportunities for the Devils.
3. Michael McLeod
Opening the scoring in the second period, McLeod made sure Ondrej Palat’s forecheck was not in vain by burying his pass with his backhand.
Key moment
When the Devils pulled ahead 2-0 at 15:39 of the second period, the wind was taken out of the Rangers’ sails and it became abundantly clear that they had fallen into an impossible hole to climb out of.
Quote of the Day
“I don’t think anybody quit on our team. I don’t think there was a lack of will or determination. I thought we fought until the end, give them credit, they played a good game.”
— Jacob Trouba