For all the talk about what the Rangers would look like without Igor Shesterkin, it should be modified to what the club would look like without their elite goaltending tandem.
Because Jonathan Quick covers up just as much of the Blueshirts mistakes as the club’s star No. 1 goalie since he joined the organization he once denied a Stanley Cup a decade ago.
The 38-year-old, who will turn 39 in two months, has staved off Father Time to rejuvenate his career in New York to the tune of a 21-6-2 record in his 29 starts with the Rangers.
“He’s one of one,” Chris Kreider said of Quick, who tied Turk Broda for the 18th most shutouts in NHL history (61) after making 37 saves in the Rangers’ miraculous 4-0 win over the Red Wings on Saturday night. “I don’t have the words to describe it. He makes goaltending look fun, just the way he moves, the saves he makes, the way he competes.
“I mean, you should see him warming up before the game, the splits and stuff that he’s doing. He’s an incredible athlete and awesome teammate.”
Going with Quick in goal Saturday night was always the plan, even after the Rangers backup netminder played in relief in the previous game.
Quick saw the ice for just the third time this season Thursday at Madison Square Garden, where the Sabres hung five goals on Shesterkin through 33:11 of play and chased No. 31 from the game.
Entering in the second period, Quick went on to save nine of the 10 shots he faced in the lopsided loss to Buffalo.
Though Thursday was his third appearance, Saturday counted as Quick’s third start of the 2024-25 season.
The Connecticut native has been incredibly strong between the pipes so far this season, making saves on 107 of the 111 shots he’s seen since the start of the season.
That’s given Quick the highest save percentage in the NHL at .964.
His goals-against average improved from 1.65 to 1.17 after the win, which now also leads the league.
After earning a secondary assist Thursday, Artemi Panarin became the only active undrafted player to collect 800 career points.
Matt Rempe continues to center the Hartford Wolf Pack’s second line between Adam Sykora and Anton Blidh.
He was minus-2 with one shot on goal in the team’s 6-3 loss to the Rochester Americans on Friday.