Igor Shesterkin was ejected from his internet Thursday evening after giving up 5 targets to the Sabers in an unsightly effort for the Ranger netminder.
Head coach Peter Laviolette opted to tug Shesterkin from the sport in favor of backup Jonathan Fast with 6:09 left within the second interval after Sam Lafferty scored Buffalo’s fifth purpose of the evening.
The choice to withdraw Shesterkin marked the primary time he had been withdrawn from a sport since October 19, 2023. according to Sportsnetand it was the second time in a few yr that he surrendered a number of targets to the Sabers on house ice.
On this sport final November, Shesterkin scored four goals in what would find yourself being a 5-1 victory for Buffalo.
This time, all 5 targets in two intervals got here with Shesterkin in internet — on simply 12 photographs.
Thursday’s poor displaying at MSG noticed Shesterkin’s save proportion drop 14 factors to .919.
Rasmus Dahlin scored 26 seconds into the sport to place the Sabers forward earlier than Buffalo scored 4 extra targets within the second.
The Rangers lastly discovered the again of the web early within the third when Will Kuyle scored simply over 4 minutes into the ultimate body, however Zach Benson answered to make it 6-1 Buffalo with Fast in internet.
Shesterkin’s night got here as NHL insider Kevin Weeks seemed to hint on upcoming information involving the net keeper.
In a cryptic X publish, Weeks posted a photograph of the New York Metropolis skyline together with the caption, “$11.5 million?”
Shesterkin is within the remaining yr of a four-year, $22.67 million contract, and Weeks initially reported that the Russian goalkeeper rejected an eight-year, $88 million provide from the Blues that will have made him the highest-paid goaltender within the league .
