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    'Absolute God' Igor Shesterkin Hailed for Saving Rangers' Season vs. Hurricanes

    Timothy Rapp@@TRappaRTFeatured Columnist IVMay 22, 2022

    New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin makes a save against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period of Game 3 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series, Sunday, May 22, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
    AP Photo/Adam Hunger

    Igor Shesterkin may have just saved the New York Rangers' season.

    The star goalie saved 43 of the 44 shots he faced in Game 3 of the team's Eastern Conference second-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, leading the way in a 3-1 win Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

    NHL @NHL

    IGOR, IGOR, IGOR! đź—Ł<br><br>Igor Shesterkin's 43-save performance powers the <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRangers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYRangers</a> to victory and helps cut the series lead to 2-1! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/07vOSfix6X">pic.twitter.com/07vOSfix6X</a>

    NHL Public Relations @PR_NHL

    A 43-save performance from Igor Shesterkin backstopped the <a href="https://twitter.com/NYRangers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NYRangers</a> back into their Second Round series with a Game 3 win. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCup</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHLStats?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NHLStats</a>: <a href="https://t.co/RGvMD5hW47">https://t.co/RGvMD5hW47</a> <a href="https://t.co/PmRxd8oSf8">pic.twitter.com/PmRxd8oSf8</a>

    NYR Stats & Info @NYRStatsInfo

    When facing 40 or more shots this year, Igor Shesterkin is 7-1 (3-1 in playoffs, 4-0 in regular season).

    Shayna @hayyyshayyy

    Igor Shesterkin saved 3.51 goals above expected, via <a href="https://twitter.com/NatStatTrick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NatStatTrick</a> against 58 unblocked shots. Turned aside 43 of 44 shots on goal.

    Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Tyler Motte all scored for the Rangers.

    Carolina still leads the series 2-1, but were it not for Shesterkin's heroics, the Canes may have been heading for a sweep. Unsurprisingly, hockey fans were singing his praises after those heroics:

    Saad Yousuf @SaadYousuf126

    Inside the brain of Igor Shesterkin right now <a href="https://t.co/bFkvwUer2Q">pic.twitter.com/bFkvwUer2Q</a>

    x - Lets Go Mets and Rangers @metsrangers11

    Do the Igor Shesterkin <a href="https://t.co/IjzHyLBCDF">pic.twitter.com/IjzHyLBCDF</a>

    Jon Chik @JChik17

    Gutsy win for the Rangers. Much more urgency than Game 2, and a season-saving performance from Igor Shesterkin. Series on! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HockeyTwitter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HockeyTwitter</a>

    Dan Rosen @drosennhl

    Igor Shesterkin has 43 saves. Best Rangers player today. Not close.

    Sarah McCrory @sarahhmccrory

    Igor Shesterkin is an absolute GOD

    The Grande Gamer (Ryan) #RoadTo6KSubsOnYoutube @RyanFournier11

    Shesterkin standing on his head again. Nothing new

    Richard Anselmo @RichA_NBA

    Igor Shesterkin - the great equalizer. Carolina still hasn’t won a road game in this year’s playoffs.

    Ian Cameron @bobano

    Igor Shesterkin brought Vezina form Igor Shesterkin with him today with the lone blemish being a goal by Nino that he should have probably stopped. Other than that though, he was brilliant today.

    Even the lone goal he allowed—a weak backhand flick from Nino Niederreiter that somehow slipped through his left arm—was more of a reminder that he is, in fact, occasionally fallible rather than a game-changing blemish:

    NHL @NHL

    Nino Niederreiter (<a href="https://twitter.com/thelnino22?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thelnino22</a>) gets the <a href="https://twitter.com/Canes?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Canes</a> on the board! 🌪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StanleyCup</a><br><br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://twitter.com/espn?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@espn</a> ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/adsCWunw7l">https://t.co/adsCWunw7l</a><br>🇨🇦: <a href="https://twitter.com/Sportsnet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sportsnet</a> ➡️ <a href="https://t.co/pby2Fozwrp">https://t.co/pby2Fozwrp</a> <a href="https://t.co/iGwocxq4Ac">pic.twitter.com/iGwocxq4Ac</a>

    Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus

    That goal was Igor Shesterkin's captcha. He just clicked "I am not a robot" by whiffing on that one.

    Drew Bryant @BrewDryant

    Shesterkin is human?

    Shesterkin has been downright brilliant against the Canes, giving up just four goals in three games. The fact that the Rangers still find themselves trailing 2-1 in the series is a bit hard to imagine, though they'll have a chance to even things up in New York on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET (ESPN).

    The Hurricanes will be praying they can finally solve their Shesterkin woes.

    'Absolute God' Igor Shesterkin Hailed for Saving Rangers' Season vs. Hurricanes
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