Rangers star Igor Shesterkin explains keys to his postseason success, remains focused on winning Stanley Cup

In a new interview, star goalie Igor Shesterkin revealed the keys to his impressive success after becoming the starting netminder for the New York Rangers.

The Rangers have been quite familiar with elite postseason goaltending since the turn of the 21st century. That’s in large part thanks to Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist, who recorded a 2.30 GAA and .921 save percentage in 144 playoff games during his 15-year career on Broadway. But not to be overlooked, is his successor in the net Igor Shesterkin.

“In the playoffs, finding peace, focus, and confidence is easier for me,” the Russian goalie told Daria Tuboltseva of RG.org earlier this week. “I don’t do anything special, I don’t change my preparation. It’s the same routine before the games.”

That focus has certainly translated to on-ice success. Just five seasons into his NHL career, Shesterkin has already established himself as a dominant postseason goaltender. In 44 games, Shesterkin boasts a 2.41 GAA and a .928 save percentage.

His .928 postseason save percentage ranks first in the Rangers’ 98-year franchise history and sixth-all-time in NHL history (minimum 15 playoff games).

In each of the last three postseasons, Igor Shesterkin has finished in the top two in playoff Goals Saved Above Expected (per MoneyPuck), leading all goaltenders in the metric during the 2022 postseason.

“The playoffs are additional motivation,” Shesterkin explained. “There is a bit of anxiety before the opening faceoff, but once you touch the puck, you forget about it.”

Despite his overwhelming success in the net, it unfortunately hasn’t translated to meaningful postseason success for the Rangers. Two trips to the Eastern Conference Final sandwich a 2023 first-round exit in seven games against the rival New Jersey Devils.

In both conference finals appearances, the Blueshirts failed to get past Game 6, falling in 2022 to the Tampa Bay Lightning and then most recently to the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers this past season.

“I left Florida upset both times,” he said. “The first time we played in the conference finals, we were a team no one believed in. No one expected us to achieve anything. Now, we entered the playoffs as the Presidents’ Trophy winners. Everyone expected a good result from us. We fought hard, but luck was not always on our side.”

As the 28-year-old readies for one last season under his current contract, he’s just one year away from, in all likelihood, becoming the highest-paid goalie in NHL history. His focus, however, remains on winning a Stanley Cup as an overwhelmingly similar Blueshirts core returns for the 2024-25 season.

“I hope that next season, we will have 16 wins in the playoffs,” Shesterkin said. “The main thing is that we remain the same close-knit team. We must wake up every day believing we want to win the Cup. And then everything will happen.”

Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin says Russian counterpart deserved the Cup

The 2024 Eastern Conference Final wasn’t just a battle between two of the best goalies in the League — it was also a battle between two Russian-born goaltenders.

Opposite of Shesterkin stood the 35-year-old Sergei Bobrovsky, a two-time Vezina winner with the Columbus Blue Jackets who had managed to find success in the later stages of his career now with the Panthers.

“Bobrovsky deserved the Cup,” admitted Shesterkin, supporting his Russian counterpart during the Stanley Cup Final as the Panthers faced the Edmonton Oilers. “I’m glad he managed to achieve this result. I hope it will be our turn now.”

Bobrovsky recorded a 2.32 GAA and .906 save percentage in 24 games this postseason, helping Florida to their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. After the Panthers went up 3-0 in the series, Bobrovsky seemed like a shoo-in for the Conn Smythe Award, shutting out Edmonton in Game 1 and allowing four goals on 86 shots through the first three games.

Led by a world-class performance by superstar Connor McDavid, the Oilers battled back to force Game 7 but ultimately fell in a 2-1 affair where Bobrovsky allowed one goal on 24 shots. McDavid was awarded the Conn Smythe in a losing effort, but Bobrovsky received an even better prize — his first Stanley Cup.

The Panthers reached the Stanley Cup Final in part thanks to Bobrovsky, who helped the Panthers battle back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Blueshirts in six games.

“We know each other, and after the game, we thanked each other for the series,” Shesterkin told RG.com. “I wished Sergei good luck in the final. We are not close friends, but I can always turn to him if I need something. And he can, too. But I don’t think Sergei can learn anything new from me.”

Igor Shesterkin’s self-deprecating humor aside, Bobrovsky has put together quite the resume. He ranks 14th all-time in wins ahead of his 12th NHL season and now has two Vezinas and a Stanley Cup to his name as well. When it’s all said and done, he’s got an excellent chance at ending up in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

For what it’s worth, Shesterkin’s got a pretty great resume of his own. On top of a Vezina Award for his historic 2022 season when he posted a 2.07 GAA and .935 save percentage, Shesterkin’s .921 career save percentage during the regular season currently ranks fourth all-time in NHL history (minimum 100 games), trailing only Dominic Hasek (.922), Ken Dryden (.922) and Tuukka Rask (.921).

It certainly wouldn’t hurt, however, if he could add a Stanley Cup championship to the leger. That seems to be the top priority for all returning Rangers as they are ready for a crucial 2024-25 season.

By Lou Orlando

Lou Orlando has spent the past two seasons as a New York Rangers beat reporter for WFUV Sports. The... More about Lou Orlando