Igor Shesterkin made the play of the night Thursday at Madison Square Garden, and he didn’t do it with his glove. With 2:34 remaining, the Rangers goaltender collected the puck behind his own net and launched it the length of the ice into an empty Tampa Bay goal, becoming the first Rangers goalie ever to score. He’s the 18th goaltender in NHL history to accomplish the feat, 21st when counting the postseason.
The goal capped a 5-1 home-opening win for New York. Shesterkin finished with 24 saves on 25 shots, and the offense gave him plenty of cushion: Mika Zibanejad scored on the power play less than six minutes in, while Pavel Dorofeyev, Eeli Tolvanen, and Gabe Perreault also tallied. Andrei Vasilevskiy, a longtime thorn in the Rangers’ side, allowed four goals on 24 shots. For a New York team that was shut out in its first three home games last October and went nearly 181 minutes without scoring at MSG, this opener was a completely different script.
Lightning fans know one October game doesn’t define a season, and there’s plenty of hockey left. Still, Shesterkin’s goal is the kind of moment you tell people you saw live. Which Lightning memory tops this one for you? Drop a comment and let us know.
