With Washington on the power play, the 30-year-old goaltender appeared to injure his right leg at 8:20, when he appeared to have driven his right skate into the right post after rushing back into his net. Shesterkin’s right leg then appeared to buckle awkwardly beneath him as he fell into the crease.
After remaining on the ice and being treated by Rangers head athletic trainer Andy Hosler, Shesterkin was helped off the ice by defensemen Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson without putting weight on his right leg. Shesterkin also had to be helped into the tunnel leading to the locker room.
“It’s definitely not a good feeling for anyone to see someone on your team go down, especially a guy like him who’s kind of the pillar at the back,” New York defenseman Adam Fox said. “You know, it (stinks). Obviously, we hope the best for him.
Shesterkin stopped 13 of the 14 shots he faced before leaving the game and being replaced by Dylan Garand, who made 11 saves.
“It’s horrible,” Rangers captain JT Miller said of Shesterkin’s injury. “He’s a pillar of this team. It stinks. Obviously it’s (early). We don’t even know what’s going on, but to see him leave the game is a blow to all of us, a shock to all of us. But at the same time, it means we have to put ourselves in a man’s shoes to try to get the job done, especially (Garand).”
In four previous starts this season, Shesterkin was 3-1-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage. He also scored his first NHL goal in a 5–1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on October 1.
“He’s been an integral part of our team for a very long time,” Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said. “He gave us a chance to win every night, and it’s tough to see him go down. I just hope for the best, obviously.”
The Rangers are already missing backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo, who is dealing with a lower-body injury every week. Sullivan said there is no change in Korpisalo’s status.
Garand was recalled from Hartford of the American Hockey League on October 1 after being granted waivers and being sent down on September 28. Garand made 22 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 2–0 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on October 2. The 24-year-old is 3-1-1 with a 1.31 GAA, .954 save percentage and one shutout in five career NHL games (four starts).
Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender in 2021-22, missed 13 games last season after suffering a lower-body injury in the first period of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 5. season.
“He’s definitely an important part of this team,” Sullivan said. “I’ve said it many times, he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the world, if not the best. He’s that good.”
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