There’s a reason why the Rangers brought in Jonathan Quick in the first place three years ago.
There’s a reason why they gave him consecutive extensions — and raises — in consecutive Marches, too.
The three-time Stanley Cup champion will turn 40 years old in two weeks. The days of Quick vying for that elusive Vezina Trophy have likely passed.
But he embodied the most sound insurance policy the Rangers could ask for in case $92 million goaltender Igor Shesterkin ever missed time.
Quick became the future Hall of Famer tasked with backing up the franchise cornerstone who could one day make a case for a spot in Toronto, too.
Quick didn’t need to step in for Shesterkin much the past two years, with Shesterkin collecting at least 55 starts then logging a league-high 34 this campaign entering Wednesday’s games.
After Shesterkin exited in the first period Monday with a lower-body injury, though, the Rangers’ net belongs to Quick for this next stretch of the season.
Shesterkin was placed on injured reserve Tuesday — a best-case outlook given the apparent noncontact nature of his injury — and replaced by AHL Hartford goaltender Spencer Martin, and head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t have any additional update on the severity of the injury or the timeline for Shesterkin’s return.
Having someone like Quick available to replace Shesterkin, though, makes the Rangers “lucky” amid an unfortunate situation, forward Mika Zibanejad said.
“We have all the faith in [Quick],” Sullivan said after the Rangers practiced Wednesday in Tarrytown. “He’s an elite goaltender. He’s a fierce competitor. I mean, his body of work in the league speaks for itself. Look what he’s done for our team this year. Every time he goes in, he gives us timely save after timely save.”
Through 11 games this season, Quick has gone 3-6-2 with a .919 save percentage and a 2.23 goals against average — on pace for his best numbers with the Rangers.
He hasn’t won a game since Nov. 7, when he earned a victory for the third time in four starts to open the season, but Quick has allowed more than three goals in a game just once across that stretch.
The New Year’s Eve loss to the Capitals was the anomaly.
His reality changed quickly Monday, when Utah’s JJ Peterka charged toward the net and Shesterkin ended up on the ice in pain — despite minimal, if any, contact — before eventually getting helped to the locker room.
Quick has been in a similar situation before, starting four consecutive games last season when Shesterkin landed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
He started three consecutive games around the All-Star break during the 2023-24 campaign when Shesterkin struggled, too, playing his way into the closest thing the Rangers could ever have to a goaltender controversy involving someone like Shesterkin.
“That’s what he’s done in the past, too,” Zibanejad said of Quick filling in. “So we know how good he is and what he means to us. I mean, we’re lucky to have two unbelievable goalies and feel as comfortable with him in the net.”
Until the Rangers get any clarity on Shesterkin’s recovery and projected return, Quick will get another chance to show that the winningest American goaltender in NHL history can keep turning back the clock with his late-career revival.
For a Rangers team struggling to stay afloat in the playoff race, still on the outside of the cutline in a packed Eastern Conference entering Thursday’s games.
For a lineup that just lost Shesterkin and star defenseman Adam Fox on the same day, with both getting injured Monday night and both having unclear timelines for eventual returns.
For an organization that has dealt with plenty of shuffling due to injuries this season after a year-plus of other shuffling due to breaking up their core.
“I believe we have what it takes to be in every game, give ourselves a chance,” Sullivan said of the Rangers adapting to the Shesterkin and Fox injuries. “Obviously, we’re a better team when those guys are in our lineup — I’m stating the obvious there. But it’s gonna provide opportunities for others to step up, play [a] more significant role, get more ice time and it’s an opportunity for people to make an impact.”
And beginning Thursday at the Garden, Quick will be at the forefront of that.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
