NEW YORK (AP) — Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was pulled early in the second period against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon after giving up five even-strength goals on 21 shots.
Shesterkin, who entered the contest with a 10-10-1 record and a 2.90 goals-against average, allowed two goals in the first period, then three within the initial 5:04 of the second.
The three goals in the middle period — which came in a span of 2:18 by Quinton Byfield, Adrian Kempe and Phillip Danault — sent Shesterkin to the bench in favor of backup Jonathan Quick, a former King.
Shesterkin sat at the end of the Rangers bench with his mask still on after leaving the game, which the Rangers went on to lose 5-1 as the Kings won for the seventh time in eight games.
“It was a horrendous first period,'' Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said after the Rangers lost for the ninth time in their last 12 games. ”It's frustrating. To start a game like that in our building is bad ... You're not going to win games if you start like that."
Shesterkin, who agreed to a record eight-year, $92 million contract extension earlier this month, won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2021-22 when he was 36-13-4 with a 2.07 goals against average. He won 37 games in 2022-23 and 36 last season as the Rangers finished with the NHL’s best record.
But the 28-year-old Russian netminder has struggled at times this season. He also was yanked after allowing five goals in a 6-1 loss to Buffalo at home on Nov. 7.
The Rangers, who had the league's best record last season with 30 wins in 41 home games, fell to 7-8-1 at Madison Square Garden. That includes allowing five or more goals in six of their last 10 home contests. New York is 15-13-1 overall. The Rangers play six of their next seven games on the road, where they are 8-5-0.
“At the end of the day, you need to perform on the ice,'' Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck said. ”You need to make sure you show up and give it your all every shift. Right now, I feel like we’re not doing that.”
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL
Allan Kreda, The Associated Press
