It is a dark time for the New York Rangers. Not only has an injury bug taken out a star defender, a top-six forward, and an elite goaltender in Igor Shesterkin, but it has now come for backup goalie Jonathan Quick. This puts the Rangers in a tricky situation heading into tonight’s matchup against Minnesota.
With both Shesterkin and Quick reportedly sitting out of tonight’s game, the Rangers opted to recall Louis Domingue and Dylan Garand from the Hartford Wolfpack.
Domingue is the likely starter for the Rangers tonight
Per Vince Mercogliano, Domingue was the first goalie to leave the ice at practice this morning. This gives a strong indication that he’ll take the start tonight, giving the AHL regular his first NHL game of the season.
Domingue has been solid to start the year down in Hartford. He has a record of 3-1-1, with a 1.75 goals-against average and a save percentage of .934%. It will be interesting to see how his skills translate up with the Rangers, especially against a talented Wild team that handed the Blueshirts their most recent loss.
Shesterkin and Quick need to return ASAP
Having Domingue and Garand as the tandem for a few games shouldn’t be a major issue, but it can not last more than a few days. Both Shesterkin and Quick have been elite so far this season, and their absence will be greatly noticeable as the Rangers’ schedule begins to intensify.
Shesterkin was originally labeled as day-to-day, but it appears he has had a minor setback in his recovery. The star goalie practiced regularly yesterday, but it appears that the Rangers are just being cautious by resting him for another game.
Quick is also day-to-day, so the Rangers should not be without their regular backup for too long as well. Domingue and Garand will need to step up tonight and hopefully the Blueshirts can have their stars back by the next game.
