Igor Shesterkin, Rangers Ripped for Blowout Game 4 Loss to Sidney Crosby, Penguins
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The New York Rangers enjoyed a resurgent regular season, but their first-round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins has been nothing short of a disappointment.
New York put forth another subpar performance in Monday’s 7-2 loss in Game 4 to fall into a 3-1 series deficit. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, in particular, struggled once again by finishing with 24 saves on 30 shots in the first two periods before getting pulled to start the third.
In three losses against Pittsburgh this series, Shesterkin has now allowed 14 total goals. It’s a shocking run for the 26-year-old after he led the NHL in goals-against average (2.07) and save percentage (.935) during the regular season.
Fans voiced their displeasure with Shesterkin and the rest of the Rangers defense online:
Mark Spillane @MarkSpillane_
The Rangers are so rattled, this is crazy. Igor Shesterkin played so well this year that he covered up stretches of average hockey from NYR…<br><br>But he’s not stopping a beach ball right now. Wow.<a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYRvsPIT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#NYRvsPIT</a>
Shesterkin entered this series as the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, but you wouldn’t know it by watching him against Pittsburgh. It’s been a steep fall from grace, but it also hasn’t helped that the Rangers defense has not done its goalie any favors.
New York will need a substantial shift in momentum if it hopes to avoid being eliminated on its home ice in Wednesday’s Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
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