Igor Shesterkin humbly deferred.
Two times just before the Rangers opened their conference closing series in opposition to the Lightning with Match 1 on Wednesday night, Shesterkin was requested about his counterpart in the web, Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Shesterkin, the Rangers’ 26-calendar year-previous goaltender, who’s a virtual lock to earn the Vezina Trophy and who has provided the Blueshirts the distinctive benefit in internet in the 1st two rounds, reported he was heading to be meeting his match in Vasilevskiy, with whom he has performed on some Russian countrywide groups.
“He is the most effective goalie in the earth proper now,” Shesterkin mentioned right after the Rangers’ Game 7 gain above Carolina.
Vasilevskiy wasn’t the finest on Wednesday night.
Not in the Rangers’ 6-2 victory around the Lightning, a consequence that was as spectacular as it was convincing. The Rangers manufactured a lot more plans (4) in the initially two periods than Tampa Bay had yielded in its four-game sweep of Florida in the earlier spherical (3).
Indeed, Vasilevskiy is deemed by all in the hockey know as the greatest goalie in the entire world. On Wednesday, while, Vasilevskiy fulfilled his match in Shesterkin.
“Igor’s greater!’’ chants rang by means of the offered out Backyard halfway by way of the 3rd period of time.
Not even a blow to the facemask by Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos two minutes into the third time period could end Shesterkin from owning the Lightning on this evening.
The 27-calendar year-previous Vasilevskiy has spearheaded Tampa Bay’s Stanley Cup wins the earlier two seasons. He also received the 2019 Vezina Trophy and the 2021 Conn Smythe. But he’ll enter Match 2 on Friday night time at the Yard down 1- in this series to Shesterkin and the Rangers.
Shesterkin, using his standout performances in the seven-activity Carolina series, was sharp Wednesday evening, halting 37 of 39 pictures, a variety from stage-blank variety.
It seemed as if Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and Stamkos ended up getting turns peppering Shesterkin all night time, but he refused to relent. Every time he created a huge help save it energized the Yard faithful and produced loud, “Igor, Igor, Igor’’ chants.
Shesterkin, right after a relatively shaky get started, settled down and set a tone in the initial interval when he thwarted Kucherov on a tip-in attempt from the entrance of the crease on a give-and-go from Alex Killorn.
He stoned Kucherov once more just after a hazardous feed from Nicholas Paul four minutes later on and he frustrated Kucherov once more with a sliding conserve from level-blank variety.
A moment afterwards, Shesterkin stoned Stamkos from in near and the Backyard crowd erupted into its “Igor’’ chants yet again.
With the Rangers leading 3-2 in the second time period, Shesterkin stopped Killorn on a two-on-a person Tampa Bay break. Three minutes later, the Rangers took a 4-2 direct on the next of two Filip Chytil ambitions in the period of time and they never ever appeared back.
Just before the recreation, Rangers winger Chris Kreider identified as this matchup “the most effective two goalies are playing in opposition to every single other.”
Fellow Rangers winger Barclay Goodrow, who played with Vasilevskiy on the Lightning and is now Shesterkin’s teammate, said before the sport: “I believe it’s very unanimous, they’re the ideal two goalies in the league. I really don't think anyone could put up an argument for that.”
On Wednesday night time, there was little argument who was the much better goaltender.
Even Vasilevskiy would have to defer on that one particular.
0 Commentaires