Donovan McNabb and the State of Football
After a regular season in which he was arguably the NHL’s best goaltender, Igor Shesterkin hasn’t disappointed in his first Stanley Cup Playoffs as the Rangers’ primary starter.
After making 79 saves in the epic Game 1 — the second-most in postseason history — Shesterkin followed up with 39 during the Rangers’ 5-2 Game 2 win over the Penguins. The 118 combined saves are tied for second-most in the first two games of a series since the NHL began tracking the stat (1955-56).
The 26-year-old is proving to be well worth the four-year, $22.7 million extension he signed before the season.
- Shesterkin’s $5.7M cap hit for 2021-22 ranks just 12th among all NHL goalies.
- He led the league in save percentage (.935) and goals against average (2.07) in the regular season.
- Through two playoff games, Shesterkin leads the NHL in goals saved above expected (5.9) — almost double the next-closest (3.0).
Shesterkin — who also finished fifth in Calder Trophy voting last season — will almost certainly win his first major trophy when the Vezina results are announced.
He could very well add another if he leads New York to a championship.
The Rangers have the seventh-best odds to win it all (+1600) — but Shesterkin has the best odds of anyone on the team to take home the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP (+2800).
