It didn’t quite work out as Keith Kinkaid had hoped, but the goalie played in his first NHL start in 465 days Tuesday’s empty-net defeat 4-2 in Pittsburgh so he could earn some quick earnings.
Assuming Igor Shesterkin is not fully recovered from the groin strain he contracted in New Jersey last Thursday, it is possible that Kinkaid could get the call over struggling Alex Georgiev for the second time in a row when the Blueshirts for the first time moved to Boston. a two-game set on Thursday.
“I was hoping for a breather,” Kinkaid said before his first start since November 30, 2019 as a member of the Canadiens. “You do not like to see how it happened, but I intend to take absolute control of this opportunity and prove that I belong in this league.”
The 31-year-old netballer from Farmingville of Suffolk County was consistently economical, ready and sharp and especially so early in the game when his team was under constant pressure. The game completely turned around in the third period, and the Rangers outscored the Penguins 15-1 in the final 20 minutes as they stormed Tristan Jarry’s Bastille, with the lone Pittsburgh clearing Sidney Crosby’s empty net at 19:27. ‘s stick shot down.
“He played solid,” David Quinn said of Kinkaid. ‘I thought he had saved early on what we could withstand the storm. I thought they flashed us pretty early in the game and I thought we were lucky to get out of the first period 1-1 when they were over us for a long time. ”
A year after dealing with the three-goal carousel in which a man named Henrik Lundqvist finally found himself out of the rotation as the strange man, Quinn must at least make a short-term decision. If not Shesterkin, does coach allow Georgiev to sit back and put on heavy workouts with coach Benoit Allaire?
Georgiev is 4-3-2 with a savings percentage that dropped below .900 to .897 and a GAA that rose to 3.03. According to Naturalsttrick.com, he finished 31st in GSAA (Goals Above Average) among the 44 goal scorers who played at least 500 minutes at -2.66 and last in a high percentage save at .707. Shesterkin, meanwhile, ranks sixth in GSAA at 5.64 and 10th in high-quality savings percentage at .838.
So, no, there is no controversy here, just a question of whether Kinkaid will get another chance with Georgiev from his game.
Kinkaid, who shares a birthday with George Steinbrenner and Uncle Sam, started 132 with the Devils over the five-year period from 2014-’15 to 2018-’19, while setting an overall record of 64-55-17 with a savings percentage of 0.906. and 2.90 GAA. He uses an old-school approach, active, athletic, two-way stacks and all that.
But the game of the netminder then went sideways and went to 15-18-6 / .891 / 3.36 the following year while being facilitated with Mackenzie Blackwood. Kinkaid has spent much of last season in the AHL after signing as a free agent at Montreal during the summer of 2019, for which he started five times in October and November. After signing a two-year deal with the Rangers in October, he returned to school with Allaire.
“It simply came to our notice then. I was waiting for this opportunity and I feel really ready, ”says Kinkaid, who spent most of the year in the taxi group. ‘I’ve learned a lot over the last few years and Benny has helped me tremendously on my way here.
‘I do not think I have experienced too much adversity in my career [2019-20], we made it to the playoffs with the Devils, and I think you’re really learning more about yourself and, you know, the ups and downs of the league at the highest level. I think Benny definitely helped me in terms of confidence and technique. ”
Kinkaid was strong early on and allowed his team to gain his balance as well as the lead at 9:16 from the first period when Jack Johnson’s drive from defender John Marino grabbed from the left. But that was essentially the sum and content of the offense for the first 40 minutes, Pittsburgh was able to control possession and the neutral zone by leading 3-1 in the third period on goals late in the first and second plus a fast-shooting goal early in the second.
The Blueshirts, who had full control in the third period, reduced the power to 3-2 at 3:18 when Ryan Strome’s attempt to lead Chris Kreider, yes – Marino, but Jarry prevented the team from equalizer, and stoned Pavel Buchnevich on the right post with 2:35 left.
For the fifth time in six games against the Penguins (1-3-2), it ended the wrong way for the Rangers. Now to the Bruins, against whom the Blueshirts won one of the four (1-2-1), and with the coach having a decisive goal.