NEW YORK — The Rangers believed it was a matter of when — not if — Igor Shesterkin would bust out of his mini-slump and regain the elite form he displayed for most of the season.
They had witnessed a heightened level of frustration and focus in the days leading up to Thursday’s game, which they saw as a good sign for them and a bad omen for the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins.
That inkling was on target, as Shesterkin responded with a 30-save shutout in a 3-0 win at Madison Square Garden.
“He was excellent,” head coach Gerard Gallant said. “People were worried about him. I wasn’t. He played really well tonight. He made some key saves at key times.”
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The Rangers’ defense did a solid job of limiting the Pens, who were playing without star center Sidney Crosby due to a non-COVID illness. But when they needed their 26-year-old goalie to make a big save, he had their back from him en route to his fourth shutout of the season.
Perhaps his best stop of the night came on a doorstep opportunity from Jake Guentzel toward the end of the second period, then he helped seal the win with 13 third-period saves, including a glove save on Kris Letang during a late power play.
“He’s had a so-called tough stretch lately – more on the team, for me, than it was him,” Gallant said. “But tonight, I have made three or four outstanding saves.”
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Shesterkin, who had gone 4-4-1 with an .886 save percentage in his previous nine starts after posting a 28-6-3 record with a .942 SV% in his first 37 appearances.
He was clearly displeased with himself following his last start, Sunday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and seemed even more intense than usual in his preparation leading into Thursday.
As it turned out, that disappointment was the necessary fuel for Shesterkin.
“It was a very important game,” I admitted. “Of course, the last few games didn’t go as planned, and I was really trying to get my grasp on the game. But we’ll keep moving forward from there. I’ll work with the coaches and we’ll try to (keep progressing).”
Revamped top six comes through again
The Rangers (46-20-6) provided all the support Shesterkin would need with a pair of second-period goals.
Frank Vatrano was responsible for the first, pouncing on a loose puck around the crease and finishing with a backhanded shot. It marked his sixth goal in 12 games since being acquired from the Florida Panthers.
“It’s just a simple game, I think, for all of us,” Vatrano said, referring to his line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. “Mika is a playmaker, and me and Kreids like to play north-south and use our speed. So for us, it’s to put pressure on the defense and just play a simple game overall, and be good defensively also.”
The second came from Artemi Panarin, who was playing in his 500th career game and continued a hot streak with his 10th point in the last six games. He netted a backhander from the slot that was set up by an on-the-money feed from Andrew Copp.
Like Vatrano, Copp has fit in rather seamlessly. The assist marked his 10th point in nine games since the Rangers sent multiple draft picks and rookie Morgan Barron to the Winnipeg Jets to get him.
The pending free agent seems to have found a home on the second line with Panarin, which could block Kaapo Kakko from the top six whenever he returns from his upper-body injury.
There’s no telling exactly when that will happen — Gallant has maintained that he’s close — but the Kreider-Zibanejad-Vatrano and Panarin-Ryan Strome-Copp combinations keep finding ways to produce.
Despite the goals, though, the coach made a point of calling for better defensive play from his top-two lines. Combined, they were out-chanced by Pittsburgh, 15-8, according to Natural Stat Trick.
“I thought we gave them a little bit too much defensively,” Gallant said. “We weren’t perfect in that second period. I thought they made some mistakes, but offensively they make some real good plays.”
Playoff pictures
Dryden Hunt finished off the win with an empty-netter at the end of a chippy third period.
Much of it spurred from a check by Penguins forward Anthony Angello on Tyler Motte, who went down to the ice hard after his head snapped back on the high hit.
“Obviously, guys are unhappy about a hit like that,” Gallant said. “I didn’t think they took care of it with the right call.”
Angello was given a two-minute penalty for interference, while Motte did not return and Gallant didn’t have an update on his status after the game.
“I haven’t heard anything yet,” he said. “It happened so late.”
Lots of pushing, shoving and smack-talk ensued in the final minutes, including a pair of roughing calls on Barclay Goodrow and Pens star Evgeni Malkin.
“For the most part, I think it was hard through the whistles, and then it got a little chippy there towards the end,” Vatrano said. “But I think in the three times I played against them since I’ve been here, it’s been a playoff type of game.”
Both teams are well aware of the possibility they could see each other in the first round next month, with the Rangers now holding a distinct advantage. They concluded the regular-season series by going 3-1 against Pittsburgh, with wins in each of the last three meetings. Thursday’s moved them six points ahead of the Pens for second place in the Metro Division with 10 games to play, with home-ice advantage on the line if those positions hold.
The Rangers nearly pulled into a tie with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place, but the Canes rallied for a comeback win over the Buffalo Sabers to maintain a two-point lead. (Carolina also has one game in hand.)
Passing the Hurricanes might not be in the Blueshirts’ best interest. Based on the current standings, that would mean playing two-time defending champion Tampa Bay in the first round.
They would probably be better off against a Pittsburgh team they’ve shown they can handle. And while some players have admitted to keeping an eye on the potential matchups, they’re content to keep winning and let the chips fall where they may.
“When the playoffs come around, you kind of put whatever happened in the regular season behind you,” Vatrano said. “Playoffs is a whole different animal. … No matter who we play, we’ll be ready.”
Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work from him at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.
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