The New York Rangers have beaten the Los Angeles Kings in a dominant 4-1 performance. It was essential that the Blueshirts secured a victory last night, as they had recently just taken back-to-back losses for the first time this year.
The star of the show last night was goaltender Jonathan Quick. He was brought in this season to serve as a decent backup to Igor Shesterkin but has proven through the first 26 games of the season that he is much more than that. In the nine games he’s appeared in, Quick has been nothing short of perfect.
The Rangers beat the Kings in Quick’s first appearance against his former team
Last night, Quick was given the start in net to face off against his old teammates for the first time since his departure from LA. The Kings had not lost a single game on the road heading into the contest, giving Quick a lot of pressure to bring his best to the ice.
Quick looked elite throughout the game, as he only allowed one goal on 26 shots. This gave him an incredible .962 SV% against a team with one of the most skilled offensive corps in the NHL.
A second prime for Quick
Quick had not looked like his old self throughout the last few seasons. His dominant play which was seen throughout the mid-2010s quickly regressed, and it appeared that he was reaching the end of an overall solid career. But ever since joining the Rangers, Quick magically reverted back to one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
In nine appearances this season, Quick has not lost a single game in regulation. He has an almost perfect record of 8-0-1, as every single game featuring the veteran goalie has resulted in at least one point for the Rangers. Following last night’s victory, Quick’s season stats have him at a 2.20 GAA and a .922 SV%. Both numbers are better than his career totals, showing that he is playing the best hockey of his life right now.
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A goaltending change for the Rangers?
With Quick playing as elite as he is, and Shesterkin having a bit of a down year, some fans have begun to wonder if there should be a goaltending change soon. But in reality, there’s no need for Quick to be pushed up into the starter position.
Although Igor’s stats are slightly worse than what fans are used to, he’s not playing badly. The bar is just set so high for Shesterkin after countless perfect seasons, that any regression seems worse than it actually is.
The Rangers are still winning games with both goaltenders, and fans should simply enjoy watching what is perhaps the best goalie tandem in the NHL carry the Blueshirts to wins this season.
