Igor Shesterkin is out for the season, and the Rangers just lost their franchise goalie barely two weeks into the schedule.
The injury happened in Friday's 3-1 loss in Washington. He couldn't put any weight on his right leg and had to be carried off the ice.
The early fears were real. Medical analysis of the video had flagged the goal post not coming off as a major concern, and the worst-case scenario has now arrived.
J.T. Miller summed up the room before the news even landed. "It's awful. He's a pillar of this team. It stinks."
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Shesterkin, 30, carries an $11,567,857 cap hit and had a .927 save percentage this season. New York's entire identity was built around him stealing games.
Now that identity is gone. The Rangers have to find a new way to win, and fast.
Dylan Garand and Chris Drury face a season without their star goalie
Dylan Garand becomes the starter. The 24-year-old has a .971 save percentage and a shutout already, but he's never carried an NHL crease for a full season.
The depth behind him is thin. Joonas Korpisalo is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least Oct. 19.
Chris Drury has to add a veteran goalie now. Riding a young starter with no proven backup for an entire season is a gamble a contender can't afford.
The Rangers are 4-2-0, and the start gives them a little cushion. Mike Sullivan will need his skaters to defend better than they ever have.
Losing Shesterkin is like a ship losing its captain in calm water. The storm hasn't hit yet, but everyone on board knows it's coming.
New York hosts Vancouver on Sunday, the first game of a season that just changed completely.
Garand will get his chance. Whether the Rangers can stay in the race without their best player depends on how quickly Drury finds help.
Can the Rangers make the playoffs without Igor Shesterkin?
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New images reveal exactly how Igor Shesterkin suffered his injury, and the footage is alarming
