New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin practiced at Madison Square Garden for the first time since his Feb. 23 car accident.
The New York Rangers had a familiar face in practice on Thursday morning. Igor Shesterkin participated with no restrictions for the first time since his Feb. 23 car accident.
Igor pic.twitter.com/cCeqZyGsBH
— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) March 5, 2020
Shesterkin was driving with fellow teammate Pavel Buchnevich when the accident occurred. He suffered a non-displaced rib fracture with no timetable for return.
Coach David Quinn told Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post that the 24-year-old is now “day-to-day” and that him returning to practice is “definitely a step in the right direction.”
Since his recall on Jan. 6, he’s posted a 9-1 record in 10 appearances. Shesterkin had posted a 2.23 goals-against average and .940 save percentage before the unfortunate accident.
He is just the fourth goalie in NHL history to win at least nine of his first 10 games.
Prior to the accident, Shesterkin was named the team’s starting goalie which ended the three-goalie debate. In the time since, Alexandar Georgiev has taken over the No. 1 spot, starting in four of the five games Shesterkin has missed.
The Rangers are five points out of the wild card with 16 games remaining in the regular season. At the moment, they’re in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with a 35-27-4 record.
New York will face the first-place Washington Capitals on Thursday night before taking on the last-place New Jersey Devils on Saturday at MSG. They will undergo a three-game road trip next week, with matchups against the Stars, Avalanche, and Coyotes.
