New York Rangers: Which Goalie Should Lead the Playoff Charge?
The New York Rangers will enter the NHL’s qualifying round with a question mark at a crucial position. While having options in net is great, naming the right starter is critical.
New York Rangers coach David Quinn has said that he is undecided when it comes to which player will be the starting goaltender for his team’s qualifying series against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s got three options, all of which are seemingly capable of leading the charge, but choosing the right one is no easy task.
One thing is absolutely certain: whoever the Rangers go with to start game one against the Canes should have the team’s full support. The regular season is one thing, but to bounce back and forth between starters in the playoffs, creating uncertainty and inconsistency for the players, is a recipe for disaster.
In the abbreviated 2019-2020 regular season, the starting duties were split between three goalies, as longtime starter Henrik Lundqvist played in 30 contests, while young goalies Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin played in 34 and 12 games, respectively.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Throughout the season, Shesterkin compiled the best numbers, posting a 2.52 GAA and a 0.932 SV%, going 10-2 in his 12 games. The next best numbers came from Georgiev, who accumulated a 3.04 GAA, a 0.910 SV%, and a 17-14-2 record. Lundqvist struggled, managing a 3.16 GAA, a 0.905 SV%, and a 10-12-3 record.
The numbers, on the surface, suggest that Shesterkin should be the guy when the Rangers take on the Hurricanes, but the sample size is a question mark. Both he and the Rangers were gaining momentum, especially in February when the team had a stretch of nine wins in ten games. The pause in play, though, means everyone starts fresh.
So, perhaps Georgiev is the answer. He is more experienced than Shesterkin and posted better numbers than the veteran Henrik Lunqvist. However, while Georgiev has been good throughout his career (35-31-7, 3.00 GAA, 0.913 Sv%), he hasn’t performed at a level where he has firmly won the starting job.
Lundqvist presents an entirely different option, having led the Rangers for years and often stealing games and series for his club. His playoff experience (128 games) is absolutely a plus, but at age 38, does it make sense for him to lead this young Rangers team?
Momentum is huge. The Rangers had it with Shesterkin back in the spring, and had the season gone uninterrupted, he would have been the starter. However, an injury and months of time off have the team, in a way, starting over.
Now all that matters is quickly regaining momentum against the Hurricanes. To do that, the starting goalie may have to steal a few games. The starting goalie may need to know what this stage is all about.
Henrik Lundqvist’s experience gives him the edge. In any playoff series, there is little room for error, but in a best-of-five series, there is almost none. Shesterkin and Georgiev have both shown flashes early in their careers, but King Henrik has carried the Rangers for the entirety of his.
For that reason, in a make-or-break, abbreviated series, New York should go with Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers aren’t expected to win this year, so gambling with an aging veteran seems like a better option than throwing a 24-year-old into the fire that is the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Next. Every Team's Greatest Player Of All-Time. dark
There is an entire training camp still to come, and one would think that that is where things will be decided, but based on what we’ve already seen, and the odd circumstances surrounding the 2020 playoffs, Lunqvist should get another chance as the star on Broadway.