Rangers Star Goalie Returning to Form

The New York Rangers have put themselves back in the playoff race thanks to the play of their star goalie.

Jan 18, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) protects the net against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

At the holiday break, the New York Rangers were 16-17-1 and sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. They had lost seven of the previous 10 games heading into the new year and the outlook was bleak.

Two and a half weeks later and the Rangers have gone from disappointment to back in the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference. It's really quite a testament to their lineup, coaching, and commitment to one another as a team. But the biggest change and reason for their sudden success is their star goaltender finding his groove in the new year.

After a tough start to his 2024-2025 campaign, Igor Shesterkin has returned to being the difference-maker for the Rangers since the holiday break. In the absence of players like Mika Zibanejad and K'Andre Miller underperforming, it's put even more pressure on the highest-paid goalie in NHL history.

Shesterkin's been up to the task, however, and the Rangers are suddenly surging. He's won four of his last five starts and still earned the team a point from an overtime loss in his other appearance. He posted a stellar 29-save performance against the Vegas Golden Knights over that stretch and most recently recorded a 27-save shutout against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The red-hot streak has Shesty slowly returning to his career statistics as well. His goals against average, which had crept up above 3.00, is now sitting at 2.87. His save percentage of .910 is now much closer to his career average of .920.

After he signed his massive new contract, there was a bit of a post-extension slump for the Russian net minder. The entire team struggled for nearly a month, but Shesterkin shouldered a large portion of the blame as the richest goalie in NHL history.

If these showings over the past five games are any indication, the Rangers goalie is returning to form and his team is following in line. It's coming at the best possible time for New York, as they are now back in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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