Rangers dominated at home by Sabres as Igor Shesterkin is pulled after allowing five goals

The Rangers have come to rely on Igor Shesterkin to be Superman. But as great as the 28-year-old goaltender is, and as much as he has done already for the Rangers this season, he’s not going to be bulletproof every night.

He certainly wasn’t Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden. Shesterkin, who entered the game with the highest save percentage in the league among goalies who had played at least five games, was pulled for the first time this season after allowing five goals in a 6-1 loss.

Shesterkin was pulled after fourth-line winger Sam Lafferty’s goal, at 13:11 of the second period, gave Buffalo a 5-0 lead. It was the third goal in a span of 2 minutes and 12 seconds. Shesterkin played 33 minutes and 11 seconds, and faced 12 shots. Jonathan Quick replaced Shesterkin, who was last pulled on Oct. 19, 2023, when he was relieved by Quick in a 4-1 home loss to Nashville.

On Wednesday, following practice, Rangers coach Peter Laviolette was asked how difficult it was to balance the fact that Shesterkin had played so well with the fact Quick hadn’t played much at all this season.

“The thing is, both goaltenders are playing excellent,’’ Laviolette said. “There was a couple games where (Shesterkin) got us two points, and he seems like he's on point with his game right now. Very dominant, very focused, seeing everything very well… They're both playing excellent, and I’m making sure that I'm saying that. But Igor seems to be really at a level right now.’’

But Shesterkin was beaten just 26 seconds into the game by what looked like a relatively harmless shot from above the left circle by defenseman Rasmus Dahlin that somehow slipped between his pads.

That was the only goal in a low-event first period in which the Rangers outshot Buffalo 8-6, but after the Rangers failed to score on a power play to start the second period, Dylan Cozens scored to make it 2-0 at 2:45 of the second. Then, when Tage Thompson beat Shesterkin from the high slot at 11:39, that started a complete Rangers collapse. Jordan Greenway got free at the back door and scored 30 seconds later, to make it 4-0, and finally Lafferty’s goal ended Shesterkin’s night.

Will Cuylle got the Rangers on the board, finally, at 4:21 of the third period, deflecting in a backhand shot by Zac Jones. But that didn’t start any kind of turnaround. Artemi Panarin earned a secondary assist on the goal for his 800th career point.

Zach Benson made it 6-1 with his goal at 11:55.

Penalties to both teams had a say in things, but in the third period, when he was trying all kinds of different things, Laviolette switched up his forward lines, putting Artemi Panarin with Vincent Trocheck and Cuylle, and reuniting the Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Reilly Smith line. Forwards Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil didn’t get much ice time in the period, which saw those two, and Kaapo Kakko, reunited for a shift late in the period.

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.