This is not about Igor Shesterkin. It’s about Alexanders Georgiev and Rangers coach David Quinn’s desire to ride the hot hand.
Georgiev has helped the Rangers earn at least one point in each of his last four games (they are 2-0-2 in games) and put on a strong performance in the 6-2 victory over Bruins at the Garden on Friday night . He will therefore be in the net again in Sunday’s rematch with Boston.
“It’s always a competition. The plan is to play the man who gives you the best chance of winning, ”Quinn said on Zoom on Saturday. Georgiev played well. I think he has six of his last eight points and he had a great night [Friday] night, so give him a chance [on Sunday]. ”
Shesterkin started 11 of the Rangers’ 18 games and has a better overall score than Georgiev – a lower goal average (2.40 compared to 2.81) and a higher save percentage (91.9 to 90.1) – but Quinn likes what he’s seen recently Georgiev.
“He hasn’t played for a while in a row,” the coach said. ‘I just wanted to give him the opportunity to follow up on what he did [Friday] night. ”
According to Quinn, the status of Artemi Panarin and Kaapo Kakko remains unchanged.
Kakko, on the team’s COVID-19 protocol list, has missed the last three games, while Panarin has been out for the last two because he is taking leave following a claim by one of his former KHL coaches, Andrei Nazarov, that 2011 Panarin had an argument with an 18-year-old woman. Panarin denied the allegations and there was no evidence or police reports to support Nazarov’s claims.
Because there was practice on Saturday, Quinn said it is unlikely that Filip Chytil (hand) will play on Sunday. The 21-year-old center returned to practice on Thursday after being out for January 24.
The honor for the Rangers’ first goal on Friday was changed from Julien Gauthier to Phil Di Giuseppe. That was Di Giuseppe’s first goal of the season. Gauthier therefore sticks to one goal.