BUFFALO — Goalie Igor Shesterkin has been spectacular via the Rangers' first two video games of the season, combining for 65 saves on the 66 pictures he's seen.
After years of enjoying towards him as head coach of the Penguins within the Metropolitan Division, new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan was requested about having Shesterkin on his facet of the ice now.
“It certain is sweet,” Sullivan stated with a smile after the Rangers took a 4-0 victory over the Sabres on Thursday night time at KeyBank Middle. “I imply, he's a world-class goalie. He's probably the greatest. You get well timed saves like he offers you, he makes it actually laborious on different groups generally. We definitely don't take that with no consideration. He was terrific tonight, he was terrific the opposite night time additionally.”
Shesterkin stayed in entrance of all 37 pictures the Sabres despatched his method Thursday, together with 12 within the third interval alone.
Even when the Sabres rattled off three energy performs within the center body, Shesterkin tracked the whole lot, together with Tage Thompson's harmful shot.
“It's all the time good having a goalie that you've confidence in,” stated Carson Soucy, who scored his second aim as a Ranger within the third interval for a 2-0 lead. “We simply attempt to do our greatest of giving him clear seems to be on the pucks. He's going to make these saves quite a lot of the time.”
Conor Sheary shortly separated himself from the remainder of the perimeter gamers who got here into Rangers coaching camp three weeks in the past.
Regardless of having spent the earlier season within the AHL with related gamers he was competing with for a spot on the Blueshirts roster, Sheary's veteran presence and relentless hustle simply stood out among the many kids who have been nonetheless in center faculty when he hoisted his first Stanley Cup in 2016.
Because of this, the Rangers rewarded Sheary with a one-year, two-way deal for the league minimal of $775,000.
“I used to be thrilled,” Sheary instructed The Submit of his response to receiving a contract. “I've talked about coming in on a PTO [professional tryout contract] and the way completely different that was for me. Coming into a brand new locker room and making an attempt to show your self to teammates and coaches and administration. To finally find yourself with a deal and be on the Opening Evening roster was fairly particular for me.
“My aim was to get again to the NHL and stick right here and show that I can nonetheless play. So hopefully all through this 12 months I can proceed to try this.”
There was little doubt Sheary was going to make the Rangers roster out of coaching camp, particularly with spots on the third line nearly large open.
Not solely is Sheary a Sullivan type of participant, after the 2 received two Stanley Cups collectively in Pittsburgh, however the undersized wing was fueled by the prospect of proving folks fallacious all through the preseason.
Will Borgen skated in his three hundredth NHL contest Thursday.
The Rangers will apply in Pittsburgh on Friday earlier than they face the Penguins on Saturday night time.
Sullivan will return to Pittsburgh for the primary time since parting methods with the workforce he led for the previous 10 years.
