Bad News! Early End to Season for NY Rangers Star Goalie

The New York Rangers will have to play the rest of the NHL season without Igor Shesterkin.

The Russian star goalie suffered a lower-body injury in the 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday night.

Especially bitter: In addition to Shesterkin, the Rangers will also have to do without backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo for the next few weeks, as he has also been out since pre-season with a lower-body injury.

In their place, the regular AHL netminder Dylan Garand will temporarily step up as the number one.

Unfortunate Incident

Shesterkin likely injured his right leg midway through the second period when his skate got caught on the post as he slid back into the net. Shesterkin's leg buckled awkwardly beneath him.

He had to be helped off the ice by teammates Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson and was unable to put weight on his right leg.

Strong Start to the Season, Including a Goal

Shesterkin had recently scored his first NHL goal, becoming the first goaltender in the long history of the New York Rangers to achieve this feat.

With the Russian in net, the Rangers won three of his four games, with Shesterkin recording a goals-against average of 1.79 and a save percentage of 92.7 percent.

After the 2021/22 season, Shesterkin was named the NHL's best goaltender, and his eight-year, $92 million contract makes him the highest-paid goalie in league history.