Igor Shesterkin flops again with another award winning performance
In a surprising game one blowout win for the New York Rangers over the Tampa Bay Lightning, an event occurred that could alter the entire series: contact to the head of Rangers' goalie Igor Shesterkin that left him shaken up after the play.
Attempting to pivot and retrieve a puck gliding through the slot, Lightning forward Steven Stamkos appears to make incidental contact with his elbow to the head of the Vezina-candidate goaltender Shesterkin. Judging the clip above, it's possible that Stamkos' stick may have also made contact with Shesterkin's head. No penalty was assessed on the play.
The play resulted in Shesterkin dropping to ice rather easily in visible discomfort, which is extremely concerning for the Rangers. There's no doubt Shesterkin would attempt to play through an injury at this point in the playoffs, but the Rangers have heavily relied on him for success this year.
Shesterkin does have a bit of a history of embellishment:
With a .935 save percentage in the 2021-22 season, Shesterkin posted one of the greatest individual goaltending seasons of all time. The Rangers will need him to be at his best to eliminate the back-to-back champions, and keep the dream of a Stanley Cup alive.
Although he was not pulled from the game due to the NHL's concussion protocol, it's something for the Rangers and their fans to be mindful of for the remainder of the series.
