The New York Rangers rebounded from a challenging 3-0 defeat against the Boston Bruins in their season opener, securing a 5-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
The Rangers displayed a commendable overall team effort against the Lightning. This performance was highlighted by star goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who excelled with 23 saves out of 24 shots faced.
Notably, Shesterkin achieved something extraordinary at the 17:26 mark of the third period. With Tampa’s net unguarded, Shesterkin capitalized on a turnover and launched a shot from the Rangers’ crease, scoring into the opponent’s net.
This marked the first goalie goal of Shesterkin’s NHL career and the first ever for a Rangers goalie, marking a significant moment for the Original Six franchise. Shesterkin’s achievement puts him in the record books as the 18th goalie in NHL history to score. The previous instance was when New York Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin scored on March 1, 2025, against the Nashville Predators.
Shesterkin has started the season impressively with a .935 save percentage and a 1.51 goals-against average over two games, raising excitement about his performance prospects this season.