Igor Shesterkin's improved play key to Rangers' turnaround

MONTREAL – Igor Shesterkin got the night off Thursday when the Rangers visited the Canadiens at Bell Centre. Backup Jaroslav Halak got the start in goal.

But Shesterkin did not get the day off.

“Practice was hard,’’ he said, the sweat practically pouring off his face as he took off his equipment following the morning skate.

Shesterkin, who was named Thursday night as the Rangers’ representative to the NHL All-Star Game, was OK with not playing against the Canadiens, who had lost five in a row in regulation entering Thursday and were 1-8-1 in their last 10 games. He’ll be ready for the next game, he said.

The next game is Saturday afternoon in Newark against the Devils. Coincidentally, it was after the loss to the Devils at the Garden in late November that Shesterkin picked his game up and helped the team turn its middling season around. After that game, a 5-3 loss in which the Rangers held an early 2-0 lead, Shesterkin told reporters he was “ashamed’’ of how he had played.

On Thursday, Shesterkin, who is 18-6-5 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a .917 save percentage, admitted he was angry at himself after that game.

“Yeah, of course, because I don't like to lose,’’ said Shesterkin, who won the Vezina Trophy last season. “I hate losing. Sometimes … I need maybe one or two hours to (calm down after a loss). But it's still – I give up easy goals. So I’ve tried to work on that. I’ve tried to be focused.’’

Shesterkin had indeed given up one or two questionable goals that night against the Devils. Since then, his numbers have improved across the board. His goals-against average after that game was 2.58 and his save percentage was .913. In the 12 games he’s played since, he is 8-2-2 with a 2.22 GAA and a .923 save percentage.

Entering Thursday, the Rangers were 11-3-2 since that game. And beyond benefiting from Shesterkin’s kicked-up-a-notch goaltending, his teammates also seem to be picking up on his passion and determination.

After the Rangers rallied from behind three times in their 5-3 win over Carolina at the Garden Tuesday, coach Gerard Gallant mentioned in his postgame news conference that Shesterkin had spoken to the team during the second intermission, upset at the fact the Rangers had twice fought back from one-goal deficits to tie the score, only to then give up goals less than a minute later.

They were down 1-0 early in the first period when Jacob Trouba tied the score on a power-play goal at 16:26 of the period. But Carolina scored 16 seconds later. Then, after Mika Zibanejad’s power-play goal tied it at 2 at 16:45 of the second, Carolina scored 29 seconds later.

After that, Shesterkin – who said he isn’t the speech-making type – felt the need to say something.

“Yeah, I said something,’’ he said with a sheepish grin. “Maybe somebody can tell you what I said. I tried to teach Russian to everybody.

“But I think everybody understood what I meant.’’

Shesterkin ended up saying exactly what Gallant was thinking, as it turned out.

“When Coach came into the room, he said same thing that I said before,’’ Shesterkin said. “But everybody understood him more than me, because I was 50-50 Russian and English.’’

The team got the message, though, and scored three goals in the third period to end Carolina’s 11-game winning streak.

“Normally I don't do that, so I apologize,’’ he said. “Usually … I don't know how to say what’s on my mind, so I don't like to talk with everybody in the game. But in this moment, I felt like something (had to be said). Those few minutes, I don't remember what happened.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.