Rangers' Igor Shesterkin makes 41 saves, stymies Stars

Field Level Media|published: Fri 20th December, 23:12 2024

Dec 20, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23) celebrates a goal scored by center Vincent Trocheck (not pictured) during the first period against the Dallas Stars at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the New York Rangers in dire need of a win, Igor Shesterkin turned in a spectacular performance on Friday. The goalie made 41 saves to end his team's three-game losing streak in a 3-1 victory against the host Dallas Stars.

The Rangers' top goalie entered play having lost three of his past four starts. However, the 28-year-old Russian was also in the middle of a larger slump. The Friday win marked the first time Shesterkin allowed one or fewer goals since a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 1.

In between, he allowed 58 goals in 19 games (3.48 goals-against average), posting a .902 save percentage and a 7-12-0 record.

It also was the fourth time this season he recorded 40 or more saves.

Shesterkin teamed up with the Rangers' penalty-killing unit to deny the Stars on all of the host's seven power-play opportunities, stopping 21 shots with his team short-handed. The seven power-play chances not only represented a season high for the Stars, it also was the most the Rangers allowed this season.

The stops included a five-minute major against Matt Rempe, whom the Rangers recalled from Hartford earlier this week. The 6-foot-9 forward also received a game misconduct for elbowing Dallas' Miro Heiskanen with 12:47 left in regulation. Shesterkin stopped nine shots on that power play alone.

Roope Hintz put Dallas up less than two minutes into the game on a goal assisted by Nils Lundkvist and Jason Robertson.

Reilly Smith tied the game nearly nine minutes later on a short-handed breakaway that started when the puck skipped over Thomas Harley's stick at the blueline in the Stars' attacking zone.

Vincent Trocheck put the Rangers up with 4:40 left in the first period. Adam Fox and Artemi Panarin, New York's leading scorer who returned to the lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury, got the assists.

Chris Kreider's empty-netter with 2:06 left finished the scoring and ended his seven-game goal drought.

Shesterkin's performance overshadowed a solid start by Stars netminder Jake Oettinger, who saved 27 shots.

--Field Level Media

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