The Rangers are bracing for life without Igor Shesterkin, and there is an opportunity hiding inside the bad news.
"Look, NYR played well tonight and Garand is a trustworthy goaltender," the post read after Friday's 3-1 loss in Washington.
The bigger point was about style. "If they focus on building a new Rangers identity other than let your goalie bail you out for wins, this could still be a fun season."
That's a fair challenge. New York has leaned hard on Shesterkin to steal games, and his $11,567,857 cap hit reflects how much he matters.
There's still no update on the injury. Mike Sullivan offered nothing after the game, and J.T. Miller called it "a shock to all of us."
Dylan Garand is the man for now, with Joonas Korpisalo on injured reserve until at least Oct. 19. Garand sits at a .971 save percentage with a shutout already.
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Mike Sullivan has a chance to reshape how the Rangers win
The Rangers are 4-2-0, with 17 goals scored and 11 allowed. They're also perfect at home at 3-0-0.
That offence gives Sullivan something to build on. Pushing the pace and holding the puck would take pressure off a young goalie, instead of asking him to be a hero every night.
This is the time to try it. A team built around one goalie needs another way to win, and an injury forces the experiment the Rangers should have run anyway.
It's like losing your safety net and finally learning to walk the wire with proper balance.
Garand, 24, carries an $875,000 cap hit. Fans have been calling for him to get more starts, and now he will.
The Rangers host Vancouver on Sunday. A strong team effort in front of their young goalie would say a lot about which direction they're heading.
Everyone in New York is hoping Shesterkin is okay. If he isn't back soon, the Rangers might discover a version of themselves they actually like.
Should the Rangers change their style of play while Igor Shesterkin is out?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Mike Sullivan addresses Igor Shesterkin's alarming injury situation
