The Rangers are playing the long game when it comes to Igor Shesterkin, who has backstopped the team in 28 of its last 31 playoff contests including the 2020 postseason in the bubble.
This is necessary for a club that considers goaltending to be an integral part of its identity.
A day-to-day situation for Shesterkin in November is much more preferred than in February or March.
A minor soreness issue is much more preferred than a lower-body injury, which Shesterkin has been prone to in his short-yet-successful career.
The Rangers have taken all of this into consideration as Shesterkin watched a third straight game from the press box Thursday night, while third-string netminder Louis Domingue backstopped the team to a 4-1 win over the Wild at Madison Square Garden.
The reliance on goaltending is something the Blueshirts have rightfully never apologized for.
That also is why president and general manager Chris Drury signed Jonathan Quick, a future Hall of Fame netminder who lives in the nightmares of the 2014 Rangers.
Despite a down year last season, Drury saw Quick for who he is: A battle-tested veteran who has more to give in a new phase of his career.
Entering Thursday night’s slate of games, Shesterkin and Quick had combined for a .921 save percentage, which ranked fifth in the NHL.
But Quick, too, watched from the press box with an upper-body injury that came about after the Detroit game this week.
Again, it’s November.
For a 37-year-old goalie like Quick, it’s better to be overly cautious now than struggle with his availability in April.
Plus, with Adam Fox on long-term injured reserve and his $9.5 million salary-cap hit available in pool funds, the Rangers can afford to call up as many reinforcements as they need to comfortably get through this stretch.
“They’re both day-to-day,” Peter Laviolette told reporters of Shesterkin and Quick, who the Rangers head coach said there were no long-term concerns over. “We’ll see.”
So Domingue made his first NHL start since the 2021-22 playoffs, when he faced the Rangers in the first round with the Penguins. This is the exact situation Drury signed Domingue to a two-year, $1.55 million deal for back in July 2022.
Not many third-string goalies come with the experience that Domingue does.
He’s played a combined 142 NHL games for six teams over parts of 10 seasons. Owning a career .905 save percentage and 3.02 goals-against average, Domingue is a valuable asset to have within the organization — and he proved that Thursday night.
“To me, he was in place on everything,” Laviolette said of Domingue, who made 26 saves in the win. “I thought he played a heck of a game. … He really stepped up in that second period when I think they fired 30 attempts at our net. A lot of quality scoring chances and he made some big saves.
“Ultimately, he gave us a chance at 1-1 to push into the third period and change the course of the game. Really strong effort.”
The Rangers have a five-day break in game action coming up beginning Monday.
Time heals all and the Rangers need every day they can get right now. It’s also the early days in a season that has started off quite well.
There should be no rush on the returns of the team’s key players.
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