Goalkeeper Igor Shesterkin is a very demanding man who has difficulty tolerating slumps and he wants to regain his confidence from 2021-2022, even if he presented excellent statistics last year.
Winner of the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the National Hockey League’s goaltender par excellence, about fifteen months ago, the Russian proved to be a little less effective during the most recent season. Sure, he maintained a .916 save percentage and a 2.48 goals-against average, but those numbers were still far from his 2.07 average and .935 save percentage from the previous year. However, the color wearer of the New York Rangers really believes he is approaching the level of performance of yesteryear.
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“I just want to be positive every day. During the last campaign, I was angry with myself because I didn’t play the way I wanted. I think everyone remembers what I looked like during training. I was furious. “I didn’t want to talk too much to anyone except my family,” he told the New York Post.
If it can reassure him, he will count on a good lifeline in the event of an unexpected disaster, since the Blueshirts have got their hands on veteran Jonathan Quick, who will replace Jaroslav Halak as number 2 goalie. The new member of the club is moreover impressed by Shesterkin’s hard work.
“He’s a player. Obviously, I’ve had to face it a few times over the last five years. Seeing him put in so much effort and compete every day is fun,” Quick said.
Work for two guards
In 2022-2023, Shesterkin played 58 games and local journalists expect a similar workload during the next regular season. However, head coach Peter Laviolette would like to point out that he is the master on board and that he will dictate what happens next here.
“When it’s time to decide in relation to training or what we do in the sessions, or even, when it is necessary to determine who will start the match and how many games each will play, everything goes through me. That includes communicating with the goalkeeper, he said. If there is a decision to be made on the starter, I will consult and discuss; I am an inclusive instructor. I enjoy sitting down with my deputies, talking and collaborating to find what is best for the team. Often something can come up and we can be divided [sur une question]. The verdict is thus mine.”