Igor Shesterkin of the Rangers makes a save during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Nineteen days before the NHL trade deadline, it was Igor Shesterkin, and not Alexandar Georgiev, who got the start in goal for the Rangers Wednesday at the Garden against the Toronto Maple Leafs. And with Georgiev’s name hotly associated with a trade to the Maple Leafs, maybe it just made sense for Georgiev not to play against what could possibly be his future team.
Or, maybe it spoke to just how much faith Rangers coach David Quinn has in Shesterkin, the Russian whose stellar play in AHL Hartford has forced the Rangers to carry three goaltenders on the roster.