Rangers star goalie takes blame for lost season: ‘could play way better’
Igor Shesterkin helped the New York Rangers remain afloat in the Stanley Cup Playoff race for nearly three months this season before sustaining a lower-body injury on Jan. 5. Without him, the Rangers cratered over the next month, fell out of postseason contention, and dropped to last place in the Eastern Conference .
Yet, the franchise goalie took ownership for the Rangers’ second straight playoff miss during their breakup day Friday at the MSG Training Center. Shesterkin was fourth in the NHL in goals-saved above average (22. 58) and first in GSAA at 5-on-5 this season (22.
96) in 2025-26, according to Natural Stat Trick. He finished 25-19-6 with a . 912 save percentage in 51 starts, but the Rangers were 2-11-0 in the 13 games he missed after sustaining that injury during a 3-2 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth mere days after a triumphant performance against the Florida Panthers at the 2026 NHL Winter Classic in Miami.
Igor Shesterkin thinks he ‘can be better’ for Rangers Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Shesterkin got the Rangers within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final in 2022 and 2024 during his sterling first seven NHL seasons. Even this season, the Rangers were within striking distance of the playoffs when the calendar turned to 2026. But he still feels he could have done more for New York.
“I could play way better,” Shesterkin said in his media availability at breakup day. “I was a little bit shocked when I checked my numbers, and I was a little bit upset about it. ” Despite the injury, Shesterkin finished seventh in the NHL in goals-against average (2.