When talking about goalies on the Rangers, former Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin rightfully gets the majority of the headlines. Shesterkin has led the Rangers to the top spot in the Metropolitan Division and has the Rangers primed for another Stanley Cup run.
However, the man behind Shesterkin, two-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Quick, has held his own and has filled a massive gap for the Rangers.
In their first game back from the All-Star break, Quick led the Rangers to an overtime victory over the high-powered Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, and kept the Blueshirts in the game despite a sluggish start.
Head coach Peter Laviolette had nothing but praise for the veteran netminder: “The minutes, the games he has come in and given us has been outstanding.”
The Rangers now have 11 wins in 17 of Quick’s starts this season, a sign that even in his age 38 season, he has no intentions of slowing down.
“You think about the start of the year and not having Shesterkin for a stretch, that can derail a lot of teams,” Laviolette said, “Yet, we were able to stay on course with the way he played.”
Quick has posted a .918 save percentage this year, his best mark since he won the William M. Jennings trophy in 2018 with the LA Kings. Quick’s career renaissance has helped keep the Rangers afloat when Shesterkin has dealt with injuries and propelled them to one of the best records in the NHL.
“The majority of his games have been on point, he’s come in and given us really, really quality games,” Laviolette said.
Quick’s 2.35 goals against average is the eighth-best mark in the NHL among goalies with 10-plus starts this season, a clear sign he has found his rhythm once again that made him a two-time Stanley Cup champion.
The Rangers now have an embarrassment of riches at the goalie position, which would normally cause controversy in the locker room, but with the veteran presence of Quick, Laviolette does not see that being an issue.
“He’s been unbelievable in the room with the guys as a teammate,” Laviolette said. “When you get to work with somebody over time you get to appreciate everything they bring to the table, not just what you saw on the ice tonight but what he brings inside of our locker room as well.”
As the season evolves, it will be worth keeping an eye on the netminder situation at MSG and how Quick and Shesterkin can learn from one another. The saying goes iron sharpens iron, and the blue shirts have two of the sharpest goalies in the NHL.
