Igor Shesterkin said he thought something broke down in the Rangers’ last year on the way to missing the playoffs for the first time in four years.
And yet in assessing his expectations for the team this season, the star Russian netminder didn’t stutter.
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tRY IT NOW“Stanley Cup,” he said bluntly.
Coming off a down season that saw almost everyone in front of him experience the same, Shesterkin posted his highest goals-against average (2.86) and his worst save percentage (.905) since pulling on the red, white and blue jersey in the 2019-20 season.
He did see more game-action than he ever has before, making 61 starts and registering a 27-29-5 record.
“If you’re a professional athlete, you need to reach the best always, and that should be your goal,” Shesterkin said.
Igor Shesterkin has Stanley Cup expectations for the Rangers. NHLI via Getty Images
Shesterkin’s offseason regiment was much of the same, he said, aside from some additional focus on his strength.
The D-core in front of him, however, will look quite different than it did his first five seasons with the Blueshirts.
Shesterkin is familiar with at least one of the additions, Vladislav Gavrikov, who he met when he was a teenager playing for Russia’s national team.
Artemi Panarin (lower-body injury) did not complete his training camp session on Friday.
“He’s just day-to-day with the lower-body injury,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “It’s more precautionary than anything. It’s early in training camp, we just want to make sure we get ahead of anything that could potentially be on the radar.”
MSG announced that Dave Starman will serve as color analyst on the Rangers radio broadcast alongside play-by-play caller Alex Faust this season.
As for assistant coach duties, Sullivan revealed that David Quinn will be in charge of the power play and defensemen, while Joe Sacco will run penalty kills and forwards.
Quinn also ran the power play and defensemen for Sullivan in Pittsburgh.
