Ryan Strome

The New York Rangers remain undecided about Ryan Strome

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New York Rangers, Ryan Strome

The New York Rangers have already made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Tony DeAngelo, Alexandar Georgiev, and Brendan Lemieux. However, according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Rangers have yet to make an offer to Ryan Strome.

Strome had a career year in 2019-20 and finished third on the team in scoring. The 27-year-old posted new highs in assists (41) and points (59) and showed strong chemistry with Artemi Panarin.

So with those improved numbers, why would the Blueshirts not give Strome a qualifying offer?

According to Brooks, arbitration eligibility is a major issue regarding the qualifying offer. Those numbers would likely elevate Strome, who had a cap hit of $3.1 million last season, into the realm of the $4.75 million neighborhood. If you add in the fact that he is just a year away from unrestricted free-agency, this may give the Rangers a situation that they are unwilling to pay for.

The Blueshirts brass has worked really hard in clearing up cap space, as evidenced by the deadline trade of Brady Skjei to Carolina, the offloading of Marc Staal to Detroit, and the buyout of franchise legend Henrik Lundqvist. Even so, with several others needing contracts they are not in a spot where they can just spend the extra money and hope everything turns out fine in the end.

The other issue could be whether the Rangers think that this might be a one-year thing for Strome and/or that his production was more Panarin related.

Before 2019-20, Strome was coming off of five straight seasons between 28 and 35 points. Those numbers were just satisfactory as he was viewed as a frequent underachiever during his time with the Islanders and Oilers before joining the Rangers. His record would be something the Rangers would mention in an arbitration case but his performance this season would factor in heavily in a hearing.

There is still the possibility that the Rangers might be trying to see if they can find a more cap-friendly replacement on the free-agent market. However, between cap hits and age, an already thin free-agent crop at the center position makes this task more difficult.

The Rangers have until 5:00 PM on Tuesday to make a Qualifying Offer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The business side of New York Rangers hockey is nearing it’s dreaded reveal

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Henrik Lundqvist, Ryan Strome, Jesper Fast, New York Rangers

Despite the global pandemic that shut down the New York Rangers and a three-game sweep in the qualifying round to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Blueshirts had a positive season with plenty of good things to take into next year.

Unfortunately for Rangerstown, good news almost always seems to be followed by bad. Here is where our story turns ugly, the business side of hockey will change the landscape of the Blueshirts.

The grim reaper could make an appearance as early as Friday.

Friday, Sept. 25 is the first day of the NHL buyout period and will be open until Thursday, Oct.8.  The Rangers are looking to free up some space and the buyout process is one way to do that, but it comes with some risk.

Buyout Prospects

The most likely player to be bought out has been talked about since the team was knocked out of the qualifying rounds, Henrik Lundqvist.

Hank is in the final year of a seven-year contract that includes an $8.5 million cap hit. A buyout of his contract would pay the King $5.5 million this season, saving the club $3 million. The buyout doubles the remaining years left on a player’s contract meaning the team would have to pay him $1.5 million next season for a total of $7 million.

The Rangers already have their share of dead salary on the books with the team still paying out buyouts for Dan Girardi and Kevin Shattenkirk totaling a little over $2.5 million for the 2021 and 2022 seasons respectively.

Finances are a tough side of the game to manipulate, with a hard $81.5 million cap for the 2020-2021 season, the buyout is the best option for the Rangers to take should the two sides be unable to work out a trade of some kind which is very unlikely.

Other buyout options such as Marc Staal, in his last year of contract with a cap hit of $5.7 million, or Brendan Smith also in gis last year of his contract with a cap hit of $4.35 million.  The savings for the upcoming season dot seem to equal the cap space to help the club.

The buyout of Henrik is the best choice for the team but will cause some friction with the fan base.  The business side of the game is never pretty.

Free Agents

Free agency begins on Oct. 9 and will be a tough situation for the club to navigate through.

The team has five Restricted Free Agents, Philip Di Giuseppe, Ryan Strome, Alexandar Georgiev, Brendan Lemieux, and Anthony DeAngelo.  All five are arbitration-eligible (a contract negotiation method that uses a third party arbitrator to determine a fair contract term and length for an expiring RFA player) which will make it that much harder for Jeff Gorton to hold on to all of them.

Ryan Strome may be the toughest decision. He has had played well since he was put on the same line as Artemi Panarin. A hard skater, good set up player, Strome has been a great weapon on this team over the past two seasons.  2020-2021 was his best season in point production as he amassed 59 points in 70 games played. His highest point total prior to that was in  2018-2019 when he recorded 35 points splitting time with Edmonton and the Rangers.  His 18 goals were his second-highest total (19 2018-2019) in his seven-season career.

The 27-year-old forward has been very successful having Artemi Panarin on his line, yet the contract that he may be seeking and could be awarded by an arbitrator if contract talks lean that way could be too rich for a club that has some depth in it.  It’s doubtful the Rangers would be willing to pony up a six or seven-year deal in the $6.5 or $7 million dollar neighborhood.

Georgiev’s future with the club will be predetermined by the decision the team makes regarding Lundqvist. The idea of having Georgiev play with Igor Shesterkin is becoming more of a reality. He will be needed to be protected for the Seattle expansion draft at the end of next season, but Shesterkin is exempt from being drafted,  the club may have a long term goalie tandem if they can workout Geogeive’s contract status.  A Henrik buyout or trade would show the team is ready to lead with theses two Russian goalies.

John Davidson and Jeff Gorton will do all they can to sign Georgiev prior to an arbitration hearing.

Add to this equation three Unrestricted Free Agents, Jesper Fast, Michael Haley, and Gregg McKegg. Haley and McKegg are sure to walk away from the team.  Fast is a tough situation to handle.

Fast and the team has not been able to agree on a new contract and it is looking more like he will see what opportunities await him via free agency.  It’s tough to see a player like Fast leave as he brings so much to the rink every night.  With 9 games played, Fast scored 12 goals with 29 points.

His strong suit is as a  checking forward and penalty killer.  Fast will be on the ice at the end of close games or killing penalties when they are needed most. Head coach. David Quinn has had full confidence in him whenever he is needed on the ice.

He was the winner of the team’s Player Player Award this season, his fourth consecutive year that his fellow teammates have voted him for the award.  The award “best exemplifies what it means to be a team player.”  This award displays the respect the team has for Fast and why it will be hard to move on without him.

Despite the accolades from his teammates and the respect of his coaches, it does appear that he no longer has a spot on this team. His contract would be another issue that could see him elsewhere next season.

Future Business

The upcoming contracts are not the only thing the club must prepare for.  The Seattle expansion draft, and the contracts of Pavel Buchnevich, Brett Howden, Filip Chytil, Julien Gauthier, Ryan Lindgren, and Igor Shesterkin will be restricted free agents at the end of the 2020-2021 season. The financial decisions made in the upcoming month will have ramifications on those contracts too.

Let’s not forget the most important issue after Henrik Lundqvist. The status of center Mika Zibanejad.  The team’s most important player’s contract will expire following the 2021-2022 season where he would be an unrestricted free agent. He will be 29 -years old and looking for another big contract which he deserves if the past few seasons are any indication. J.D. and Gorton might want to lock him in earlier rather than waiting it out, though that is something the organization rarely does.

Predictions

Predictions can be amusing and a good topic of conversation among fans, bloggers, and beat reporters. They have little if no value, but here is what I think the club will do.

The Rangers will buyout Lundqvist not because they have to, but because he has earned the opportunity to play elsewhere without involving the pieces needed for some sought of trade. Yes, it adds more dead cap space next season, but Henrik has earned that for his play over the past 15 years.

  • Mckegg and Haley will walk away since they are no longer needed players with the depth the club has in Hartford and overseas on loan.
  • Jesper Fast will sign elsewhere, a decision that may have been already decided by this point.
  • Ryan Strome’s asking price will be too high and will be traded during the offseason.
  • Di Giuseppe, Lemieux, and Georgiev will be re-signed. They all have an important role on this team for the future.
  • Anthony DeAngelo will remain a defenseman on this team as the two sides will agree on a contract extension. Then they will lose him in the expansion draft next year.
  • Zibanejad will sign a contract extension in the next 18 months and sometime between now and then be names the next captain.

Predictions are a funny thing, it really has no weight to what the club does. The trues value of a team is what the team does on the ice.

Finances, salary caps, and long term contracts dictate the direction a hockey team goes towards. For the Rangers, that process is never-ending and the next month’s planning will hopefully lead towards the elusive Stanley Cup.

 

New York Rangers: Artemi Panarin will carry team on his shoulders

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The New York Rangers signed Artemi Panarin last summer for his scoring skill and playmaking ability. When the NHL resumes games sometime in July, the organization is hoping he can do one more thing, carry the Blueshirts deep into the playoffs.

Panarin had an incredible first seaosn in New York. He led the team with 95 points finding the back of the net 32 times in 69 games. The 28-year-old has done everything the organization has asked as he had the best season in his five years in the NHL recording career-high in both goals and points.

This will be Panarin’s fifth trip to the postseason.  The high-scoring Russian scorer has struggled with putting the puck in the net in postseason games as he has played in 27 Stanley Cup Playoff games managing only nine goals.

What is more surprising, Panarin has only seen the second round once in his four previous playoff trips. In his final season with Columbus last season, the Blue Jackets upset the Tampa Bay Lightning in a four-game sweep before being eliminated by the Boston Bruins in six games.

This season the Rangers will be playing in their first postseason since 2017 with a team that had little aspirations of even talking about the postseason in October never mind getting their first opportunity to play in these important games now.

Defense

What so many fans fail to see is just how good Panarin is on defense. Head coach David Quinn broke down his game on the “Film Room” youtube video.

Panarin is a smart player on defense.  He is great at backchecking, putting pressure on the opposition as they enter the Ranger’s defensive zone.  “What makes him so good offensively is his commitment to defense”, said Quinn in the video. The coach appreciated his poise with the puck in his own end which more time than not turns into an offensive scoring chance. He dominates the “50/50 puck battles” which the head coach feels is crucial in puck possession.

Defense coverage is crucial in coach Quinns system, he has set plays in each of the zones on the ice, but he admits to giving Panarin a little more leeway because of his skillset and great on ice knowledge with what is going on around him.

Hard Part Is Yet To Come

Now is the time where Panarin will feel the most pressure. He was a rookie the first time he made the playoffs with Chicago and last season he knew would be his last with Columbus. This is New York, one of the biggest markets in the country, one where Panarin has never had to handle the media like he will when the game resumes.

Panarin is going to be expected to be better than he was in the regular season. That’s a tough thing to ask considering he, along with the entire NHL, will be starting over due to the prolonged break that was a result of the pause in the regular season.

The team leader on the ice is going to have to put his foot now quickly and find his scoring touch. The qualifying rounds are the best- of -five so there will not be a “feeling out” period.

The native of Korkino, USSR is a pure goal scorer and incredible skater who can handle the full load of the team on his shoulder and find ways to win hockey games. He will have to because, at the end of the day, this is why he is getting paid all of that money.

Team Leader

Panarin is no longer the new kid on the block. He is the guy the kids all look up to and respect. His contagious smile, no-quit attitude has been passed on to everyone in the locker room and on the bench. The Breadman will lead the club, along with Mika Zibanejad, to give the Rangers a scary one-two pinch against any team that comes there way.

Ryan Strome has been a benefactor of playing alongside Panarin. Strome scored 18 goals this season ( one shy of his career-high) along with a career-high in points (59) with him appearing on all 70 regular-season games this year.

The Carolina Hurricanes will be the next team Panarin and the Rangers face whenever the NHL gets back to games. That is something that will not change no matter how much the ‘Canes complain about the 24-team format.

Panarin needs to find his scoring touch the moment the puck is dropped. The moment he steps back on to the ice in whatever city that may be. Whenever that time comes, Rangerstown will be living every faceoff, every period and every game played through the eyes of Panarin.

There is something magical whenever fans talk about Rangers playoff hockey. Panarin is going to get to feel that energy soon, and knowing how committed he is to win, the Blueshirts will get to experience the end of a different but quite special season.

A few New York Rangers show the love for nurses treating COVID-19 patients

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New York Rangers

The New York Rangers organization has been saluting the many first responders that have been helping fellow New Yorkers throughout this horrific ordeal. They organized the interview to talk about how each of them has dealt with dealing with the virus.

A few of the players surprised four nurses during a virtual interview to tell them how much they appreciate all they have done to help patients during this tough time.

The Nurses were told they were going to do an interview discussing their time dealing with the global pandemic. Coincidently they all happen to be New York Rangers fans so it was no surprise that the conversation turned to the Blueshirts with stories of their memories of great times watching the team play in happier times.

That’s when the nurses received a surprise they so richly deserved.  Ryan Strome, Chris Kreider, and Marc Staal crashed the virtual interview to the surprise of the nurses.

Each of the players spoke to the nurses praising all they have done to help people battling with this silent killer.

Ryan Strome might have said it best, telling the nurses “a lot of us feel really hopeless a times because you can’t really do anything about it, but you guys are able to do that, and not just for us, I think everyone is very appreciative,” as was told to Pat Pickens of NHL.com

Strome, speaking for al three players, then invited the nurses to a Rangers game at the Garden once things get back to normal.

Pretty amazing what a simple video conversation can do to raise morale for both the players and the nurses.

New York Rangers’ Centers Were Better Than Expected in 2019-20

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New York Rangers

When people looked at the New York Rangers’ roster at the beginning of the season, the one big question most had was how would the guys who man the center of the ice perform this season? It was especially an important question given that the Rangers acquired Artemi Panirin in the off-season. While the jury is still out on the bottom two centers, the top centers met and even exceeded all expectations.

Mika Zibanejad was a nice fit with Chris Kreider

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider and have turned in a massive offensive performance that has helped form one of the league’s best top-line duos this season. Zibanejad recorded 41 goals and 75 points in 57 games before the NHL paused and pandemic put this season on hold and put an end to the questions of whether the Rangers had a legitimate elite first-line center capable of going up and down the ice with the league’s best. Unfortunately, Zibanejad was on a roll, scoring 11 goals in the final six games, getting at least one in all of them. He’d scored 17 goals in the final 13 games and netted 23 goals in 22 games following the bye/All-Star break. Even though it seems like a really long time ago, it was just on March 5 when Zibanejad scored five goals against the Washington Capitals. Whenever the Rangers step on the ice next, the Zibanejad/Kreider duo should be reunited and should continue to be a force.

Ryan Strome was having a career year for the New York Rangers

Ryan Strome has played his best hockey since joining the New York Rangers in the middle of the 2018-19 season. Strome has recorded 92 points (36 goals, 56 assists) in 133 games with the Blueshirts while emerging this season as Artemi Panarin’s linemate. After the trade, he slumped offensively but broke out of it late in the season. He had 12 goals and 10 assists in the last 28 games of the season and even started getting playing time on the power play. Overall, he scored 18 goals and had 15 assists, while averaging 15:54 in time on ice per game in 63 games after being traded to the Rangers. This season, paired with Panarin, who has a knack for making everyone around him better, which has certainly been the case with Strome. Their line immediately formed chemistry and the all-around play of Strome and Fast has allowed Panarin to be aggressive offensively. Strome has developed into an important player for the Rangers and has had success on the power play and penalty kill, in addition to his strong play at even strength.

Could We See Two Strome’s Playing for the New York Rangers?

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New York Rangers

There was some interesting news that could have interested the New York Rangers when Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently said during an appearance on Buffalo’s WGR Sports Radio 550 that Chicago may be open to listening to trade offers for Dylan Strome, the brother of Ranger’s Ryan Strome. Could the Rangers be interested in adding the 23-year-old, especially since Friedman believes there will not be much cost to acquire him? It is definitely an intriguing thought.

Could Dylan Strome help the New York Rangers?

Even though his stats haven’t been as impressive in 2019-20, he’s been a major part of the Chicago Blackhawks’ lineup as their No. 2 center behind Jonathan Toews. If the Rangers would acquire him, he would more than likely be the third center behind his brother and Mika Zibanejad, unless he or his brother switch to a wing. His history suggests that he could be a formidable third-line center. Dylan Strome had 38 points (12 goals and 26 assists) in 58 games when the NHL season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. Strome was selected by Arizona with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 draft, but he didn’t make his NHL debut until playing seven games in the 2016-17 campaign. He played only 48 games for Arizona before being traded to Chicago in November of 2018. Combined with the 20 games he played for the Coyotes to open the 2018-19 season, he had 57 points (20 goals and 37 assists) over 78 total games.

Now the big question is, could the Rangers afford him, especially with the uncertainly of the salary cap for next season. Strome earned $832,500 each of the last four seasons, per Spotrac, so will most likely make more in the coming years. He is set to become a restricted free agent this offseason, so it’s possible the Blackhawks could be looking to trade him before losing him without getting anything back in return.

Ryan Strome had a twitter Q and A today, and while he did not or probably could not answer any questions related to this, he did respond to one question about whether he and his brothers are close he tweeted back: “Yeah really close. Fun to be chasing our childhood dreams at the same time.”(Younger brother Matthew is currently with the Reading Royals of the ECHL)

It is probably a longshot, but in the uncertainty of what has happened, and what may happen, one never knows.

Hockey Community Shows Support for the New York Ranger’s K’Andre Miller

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New York Rangers

On Friday, New York Rangers prospect K’Andre Miller was subjected to a repeated racial slur from a hacker during a Zoom video chat with New York Ranger’s fans. Immediately many of the people in the hockey community tweeted their dismay over this vile incident and their support for the twenty-year-old defenseman.

Current New York Rangers among the first to offer support and encouragement

Ranger’s defenseman Jacob Trouba was among the first to tweet his support: “What happened today was inexcusable and cowardly. Racism has no place in the hockey community or the world. K’Andre Miller, we are excited to have you as a part of the Rangers and I look forward to having you as a teammate.” Sentiments that were also echoed by Ryan Strome and Tony DeAngelo. Strome tweeted out that “This team and this organization sticks together. You are one of us and we have your back!”

Many outsides of the Ranger’s organization was also quick to respond. Miller’s former head coach at Wisconsin, Tony Granato tweeted this: “K’Andre Miller has the support of myself and the entire Wisconsin hockey family. He has a bright future in the game of hockey. No one should be subjected to the inexcusable, racist behavior experienced today by K’Andre.” USA Hockey, which Miller has been a part of through his performance representing the United States in two Junior World Tournaments, stated that: “We support K’Andre Miller, an incredible leader, teammate, friend & person. Racial & derogatory slurs have absolutely no place in the game or society.”  Miller even received support from the Los Angeles Kings twitter feed when the posted that: We support K’Andre Miller and are proud to have you as part of the NHL family. There is no place for the racist remarks you had to endure today, and we look forward to hosting you and the Rangers in the future.”

A couple of years ago, William Douglas posted an article on thecolorofhockey.com that detailed Miller’s journey through hockey. Let’s hope that this incident goes a long way in making sure that incidents like these can be purged from this sport and our society.

Red-Hot Mika Zibanejad leads New York Rangers to their Ninth Straight Road Win

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New York Rangers, Mika Zibanejad

Maybe it was the Poutine that caused the New York Rangers to be a bit sluggish but they rallied in the third period with four goals to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Mika Zibanejad started the four-goal rally by scoring at the 11-minute mark of the third period.

Ryan Strome scored twice and added an assist while Phillip Di Giuseppe and Adam Fox each added a goal.  Third-period rallies are nothing new for the Rangers now have outscored opponents 81-56 in the third period this season, and their plus-25 goal differential in the third period this season is the best in the NHL.

Their nine-game road winning streak is tied for the eighth-longest in NHL history. They are also the first NHL team that has posted a nine-game road winning streak since the Nashville Predators accomplished this during the 2017-18 season.

Mika Zibanejad leading the way for the New York Rangers

One of the keys to the third-period comeback was to place Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin together on a line. In post-game interviews, players mentioned that head coach David Quinn was less than pleased with their effort, especially with the first two lines, and this led to the pairing.

Zibanejad has now scored in six straight games for the Blueshirts. He is the first Ranger who has posted a six-game goal streak since Jaromir Jagr during the 2005-06 season.

That six-game goal streak is tied for the longest goal streak in the NHL this season, and he is one of four players who have posted a six-game goal streak in 2019-20 joining the likes of Patrick Kane, Sebastian Aho, and Max Domi.

Thursday night’s goal was his thirtieth of the season, making him the first Ranger who has registered 30 or more goals in two consecutive seasons since Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06 and 2006-07, and the first from a center since Mark Messier did this in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

After the game, Zibanejad said of the third-period line switch that the result of that was that they “Played harder, worked harder, played faster, and we saw the result of that today.”  They will need to continue that philosophy as they travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers on Friday night.

 

New York Rangers Survive Shark Attack: Now Wait on Trade Deadline Activities

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New York Rangers, Artemi Panarin

It might be a little understandable if the New York Rangers looked a little flat on Saturday night. After playing for the fourth game in the past six days, and dealing with constant trade talk, the Rangers slipped past the San Jose Sharks by the score of 3-2. Igor Shesterkin stopped 44 saves to win for the seventh straight time. Artemi Panarin set up a pair of goals with passes that were beyond spectacular, and Jesper Fast broke a third-period tie with his second goal of the night. The Rangers won for the third straight time, the seventh time in their last eight games, and moved to 10-3 since the All-Star break. Also, the Blueshirts are now within four points of the final playoff spot.

Shesterkin magnificent in goal for the New York Rangers

The Rangers came out flat Saturday night against the Sharks, having outshot the Blueshirts 22-3 in the first period. It was pretty much the work of Shesterkin in the net that allowed them to survive the onslaught and regroup for the win.  In getting the win, Shesterkin became just the fourth goaltender in NHL history to earn nine wins through his first 10 career games. He is also the first NHL goaltender since saves were first tracked in 1955-56 to have four 40 or more save games, as well as four 40 or more save wins, in his first 10 career appearances. This has to be even a bit over the Ranger’s expectations when they brought him up and have tried to juggle the dreaded three goalie scenario.

What will the New York Rangers do at the trade deadline?

There are a couple of different scenarios that the pundits have suggested. The first, and the least likely is that the Rangers do nothing before the trade deadline and deal with the impending salary cap issues in the off-season. This scenario could happen as the Rangers are now in contention for a playoff run, and won’t do anything to upset the team chemistry that seems so strong in recent weeks.

So the next issue is Chris Kreider. If they do re-sign him, then almost every other player on the roster, with the exceptions of Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, would be on the block. Some players with higher price tags like Ryan Strome, Pavel Buchenvich, Brady Skjei, and Tony DeAngelo could be the players who are traded, to help deal with the salary cap implications of re-signing Kreider

If the Blueshirts cannot re-sign Kreider, he will most likely be traded, probably for a nice haul. This is the scenario that would seem to hurt the Rangers playoff chances the most as this would upset the team chemistry quite a bit. This becomes even more critical as the Rangers begin a stretch of four games against opponents in the thick of the playoff race in the Eastern Conference.

New York Rangers defeat Winnipeg; DeAngelo, Buchnevich join Kreider on Trade List

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New York Rangers

Chris Kreider scored two goals and Igor Shesterkin made 42 saves to lead the New York Rangers past the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Kreider’s performance solidified him as the number one trade target heading to the Feb 24 trade deadline, but the Rangers continue to negotiate in order to sign the 28-year-old forward.

Buchnevich and DeAngelo join Kreider as possible New York Ranger trades

Pavel Buchenevich and Tony DeAngelo have risen up TSN’s trade bait chart in response to the New York Ranger’s attempt to re-sign Chris Kreider. This is due to the fact that if the Rangers can sign Kreider, they will most likely have to part ways with a combination of Pavel Buchnevich, Tony DeAngelo and/or possibly Ryan Strome in order to stay under the salary cap for the 2020-2021 season.  Alexandar Georgiev dropped out of their list, but the possibility of a trade still exists before the deadline. Kreider still has many potential suitors, even after the Pittsburgh Penguins may have crossed their name off that list by acquiring Minnesota Wild forward Jason Zucker.

Shesterkin removed for concussion check, comes back for the win

Igor Shesterkin recorded 42 saves in the win but had to be removed for a concussion check after colliding with a Winnipeg player. At 8:12 of the first, Shesterkin was crashed into by Andrew Copp after the Jets forward was pushed by Tony DeAngelo. Henrik Lundqvist came in to finish the first period and recorded a save as Shesterkin was cleared and re-entered the game in the second period. Shesterkin is the first rookie goaltender in Ranger history who has made at least 40 saves in two consecutive team games and is the first rookie goaltender who has earned a 40-save win in two consecutive personal appearances. Also, Shesterkin’s 238 career saves are the most by a Rangers goalie in his first seven NHL appearances and the most any goalie has made in his first seven appearances with the Rangers. After the game, head coach David Quinn praised his young netminder by saying From where I sit, it doesn’t matter what league he’s in, it doesn’t matter what building he’s in, it doesn’t matter about anything, he just has a net behind him and he’s going to keep the puck out of it, which is a simple approach and it works.”