Igor Shesterkin benched in Rangers’ ugly 6-1 loss to Sabres
On a night when Igor Shesterkin was not in form to rescue the New York Rangers, the Blueshirts were incapable of bailing out their franchise goalie. Needless to say that was a bad recipe for the Rangers, who were hammered by the Buffalo Sabres 6-1 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Shesterkin allowed a bad goal through his pads just 26 seconds into the game and found himself on the bench at 13:11 of the second period after surrendering five goals on just 12 shots. It was easily his worst outing of the young season and particularly shocking considering his brilliant play so far.
But he didn’t receive much help from his teammates, who looked slow and passive against the clearly hungrier Sabres.
“As a group we just weren’t good enough tonight,” Rangers captain Jacob Trouba said.
Buffalo had six different goal scorers — Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Jordan Greenway, Sam Lafferty and Zach Benson. Of their 18 skaters Thursday, 15 recorded at least one point. Benson (goal, assist) and Jack Quinn (two assists) each had two points.
Goalie Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen finished with 25 saves for the Sabres (6-7-1), who’ve won two straight.
Will Cuylle scored his his fourth goal of the season for the Rangers (8-3-1), who had won their previous two games. Artemi Panarin recorded his 800th NHL point with an assist on the goal.
Jonathan Quick stopped nine of 10 shots in relief for the Rangers, who’ve allowed five or more goals in three of their four losses this season.
Related: ‘Somebody’s got to sit’: Rangers coach explains why rookie Victor Mancini scratched again
Buffalo Sabres 6 – New York Rangers 1
Shesterkin and the Rangers couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start Thursday. After the Sabres won a board battle on the opening shift of the night, a quick passing sequence saw Dahlin with the puck in the left circle. He was unchecked, but Shesterkin had a clear look and was in position, yet somehow the shot beat him 5-hole just 26 seconds into the game.
Though the Sabres clearly had more jump and hemmed the Rangers in for stretches, the Rangers did find a semblance of footing and didn’t allow another goal in the period. After allowing the first three shots in the game, the Rangers finished the rest of the period with an 8-3 advantage. Cuylle had a great scoring chance early and another good one late, but was denied each time by Lukkonen.
The Sabres goalie made his most important save of the game in the final seconds of the period, when he denied Filip Chytil’s in-tight backhand attempt. That shot was set up by a quick Panarin pass when the Rangers were skating 6-on-5 with Shesterkin on the bench for an extra attacker during a delayed penalty against the Sabres.
Starting the second period on the power play, the Rangers were completely stymied by the Sabres. And 45 seconds after a successful kill, the Sabres scored to make it 2-0. An effective cycle in the offensive zone started the scoring play, and Cozens wired a nasty shot from the left dot that beat Shesterkin glove side at 2:45. Cozens was all alone because Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller lost his stick and was late getting back into the play.
Still in the game, the Rangers went back to the power play at 4:58, but failed again. Shortly thereafter the Sabres blew the game open, ending Shesterkin’s night shockingly early.
Buffalo scored three goals in a span of 2:11, beginning with Thompson scoring his ninth goal at 11:39. Reilly Smith was a step late behind Thompson, who rifled one off the rush from between the circles high into the net to make it 3-0.
Thirty seconds later, Greenway was left all alone to Shesterkin’s right, and the Sabres forward buried a feed from Jason Zucker for his third goal at 12:09. Zucker came away with the puck after Ryan Lindgfren lost a battle in the corner.
Then at 13:51, the Sabres scored again off the rush. Lafferty ended Shesterkin’s night, finishing off a 2-on-1 with Beck Malenstyn, who danced around Adam Edstrom above the circles.
“It was just a bad day,” Shesterkin said.
Quick replaced Shesterkin and allowed a J.J. Peterka shot to somehow sneak by his shoulder from a tight angle short side from left wing at 16:30. However, the Rangers challenged the goal successfully, video review confirming the Sabres were offsides on the play.
It was brief victory for the Rangers, who were booed off the ice heading into the second intermission.
The Rangers did show some life early in the third period. Cuylle went to the net and a Zac Jones shot caromed off his body and into the net at 4:21 to make it 5-1. Shortly thereafter, Edstrom was denied on a point-blank shot by Lukkonen.
Another golden chance to possibly get back into the game escaped the Rangers during a power play roughly six minutes into the third. Chris Kreider slammed a shot on net from five feet out after a brilliant pass by Panarin, but Lukkonen made the outstanding pad save.
Benson’s first goal of the season, on the power play, at 11:55 sealed the deal on this one, however.
There will be plenty for coach Peter Laviolette and the Rangers to chew on before their next game, Saturday on the road against the Detroit Red Wings.
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