The New York Rangers’ 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday night was completely overshadowed by a scary lower-body injury suffered by Igor Shesterkin.
The injury occurred in the second period as Shesterkin went way out of his crease to challenge the puck carrier, Pierre-Luc Dubois. Upon sliding back into his crease, Shesterkin’s right skate made contact with the post, and he immediately collapsed to the ground, pounding the ice in pain.
The 30-year-old goaltender remained on the ice for a lengthy stretch of time before being helped to the bench by Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, unable to put any weight on his right leg.
Shesterkin was quickly ruled out for the remainder of the contest, and while Mike Sullivan said after the Rangers’ loss that he had no update on the severity of Shesterkin’s injury, the way in which he exited the game brought a wave of concern throughout the entire team.
“It’s concerning,” Sullivan said of Shesterkin’s injury. “He’s an elite goaltender. I mean, you don't ever want to see anybody get hurt, but obviously, he's an important player for us.”
Through his first four starts of the season, Shesterkin was playing at an extremely high level, posting a .926 save percentage heading into Washington.
Shesterkin’s stellar goaltending helped propel the Rangers to a 4-1 start to the season, but that newfound momentum came to a screeching halt when the Blueshirts’ franchise star crumbled to the ice.
“It’s awful, he’s a pillar of this team,” J.T. Miller said. “It stinks. We don't even know what's going on, but to see him leave the game is a shock to all of us, a shock to all of us.”
In relief of Shesterkin, Dylan Garand stepped in and saved 11 of 12 shots as the rookie goaltender was thrust into a difficult situation.
Despite not knowing the severity of Shesterkin’s injury just yet, it’s hard not to speculate about the long-term ramifications that could possibly be on the horizon for the Rangers.
If Shesterkin were to miss time, the Rangers would find themselves in a difficult situation given their current goaltending depth.
Joonas Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve following the Rangers’ season opener due to a lower-body injury, and he had not resumed skating as of Thursday.
Meanwhile, Hartford Wolf Pack goaltender Spencer Martin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, which means the Rangers may be forced to call up Callum Tung from the American Hockey League, who has no NHL experience under his belt.
Garand, who was placed on waivers by the Rangers before the season began, is slated to take on the Rangers’ starting goaltending role if Shesterkin misses time.
The Rangers’ impressive start to the season brought forward so much hope and excitement for a team desperately looking to turn the page after a frustrating two-year span.
Now, the Rangers are facing down the barrel of potentially missing Shesterkin for a long period of time, which would almost certainly set back any progress the organization was hoping to make.
“We're not going to let (Igor's injury) take the wind out of our sails,” Miller said.
The only thing left for Rangers fans to do at this point is wait to find out more about Shesterkin’s status and hope he is OK, or at least that the injury was not as bad as it looked.
“Definitely not a good feeling for anyone seeing anyone on your team go down, especially a guy like that who’s kind of the pillar on the back end,” Adam Fox said. “It sucks. Obviously, we’re hoping for the best for him.”
After two poor efforts against the Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals, it was reasonable to assume that the Pittsburgh Penguins might bring their A-game Friday against an opponent they've historically gotten the best of.
But whatever is the exact opposite of an A-game is what ended up translating on the ice for the vast majority of the game.
The Penguins fought their way back from a 2-0 deficit against the Columbus Blue Jackets to force overtime and a shootout, but the Jackets ultimately prevailed, 3-2, to cap off what was a dominant effort from them. Columbus outshot the Penguins by a wide margin, 45-22, and the Penguins compiled most of their shots in the third period.
Sergei Murashov was outstanding for Pittsburgh, stopping 43 of 45 shots on goal.
From the jump, the Penguins could not get much generated. Columbus was skating circles around them, and it culminated when Damon Severson scored to give the Jackets a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.
For much of the second period, it was the same song and dance. Pittsburgh was disjointed, and Columbus kept taking advantage of that with sustained zone time. Mathieu Olivier made it 2-0 with eight and a half to go in the middle frame, and the Penguins got a late goal from Bryan Rust - his patented power move around a defender and across the net-front - to cut the deficit to one.
Stepping in and stepping up 💪
Bryan Rust has his second goal in as many games after making his season debut. pic.twitter.com/qXJ9Ce4F8e
Then, considering how things went in the first 40 minutes, Pittsburgh was much better in the third.
A little more than three minutes into the final frame, the Penguins' first line was pressuring in the offensive zone. A fresh Evgeni Malkin crashed the net, and Erik Karlsson sent a shot in his vicinity that may or may not have hit Rickard Rakell on the way in. Malkin poke the puck through the five-hole of Jackets' netminder Cam Talbot, and the game was suddenly tied.
Murashov worked hard to get the game to overtime, stopping 40 of 42 shots in regulation. However, a back-and-forth overtime was not enough, and a shootout was forced - which has, in recent years, not been good news for the Penguins.
None of Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, or Ben Kindel managed to score on Talbot, but Columbus's first by Kent Johnson beat Murashov to give Columbus the win. That gives the Penguins their 15th shootout loss in their last 18.
- There is nothing good to say about the first two periods of this game for the Penguins.
They had three shots in the first period. By the end of the second period, they had six. Even with the goal by Rust toward the end of the second, the Penguins were still sloppy for the rest of the period.
Fast starts were a trademark for the Penguins last season and in the first two games of this season against the Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens. In the last three, the Penguins were plain lethargic to start, and they've had a hard time coming back from that.
It bears repeating, but this team just looks so disjointed for large stretches right now. Maybe that's due to a shortened camp and so many new faces, maybe not.
But it's something they need to correct quickly.
- That said, the one guy on the ice - aside from Kindel, who has been excellent - actually looking pretty good through the two games he's played in is Rust.
It was pointed out by many that Rust had an extra step in training camp this year. It was noticeable, and he was far and away one of the standout players in camp before yet another injury plagued him to start the season.
Rust looks like he's carried that momentum into the regular season. His speed has seen a resurgence, and he's a difference-maker in this lineup right now.
The Penguins sorely missed him. He needs to stay healthy for a variety of reasons.
- Someone I'd like to see more from is Chinakhov. He did have two of the Penguins' three shots in the first period, but it feels as though Malkin and Tommy Novak have been able to generate offense more consistently than Chinakhov up to this point.
He's very close. Once he breaks through and rips one, it feels like the floodgates will open.
But, in general, the Penguins need more from their top-six as a whole, especially the first line. It was another rough night for Sidney Crosby and Rakell.
- I haven't been overly impressed with Hendrix Lapierre in these last couple of games.
Like everyone else, he was shot out of a cannon to start the season. Since the Montreal game, though, I think he's looked very much like a fourth-liner.
I'd like to see Robertson elevated back up in the lineup, and perhaps, Elmer Soderblom get a game in place of Lapierre on the fourth line. The Penguins could use Soderblom's size and forechecking right now, and Blake Lizotte, Connor Dewar, and Soderblom were a tried and true combination in the stretch run last season.
- It's hard to be overly critical of the defensive pairings - Sam Girard and Kaedan Korczak have, by far, been the best pairing for the Penguins so far - because there are three new guys on it, and it's going to take some time for things to gel.
But this is a third-straight less-than-pedestrian effort from the Trevor van Riemsdyk and Kris Letang pairing.
I believe there's another level to both of these guys. They played well in the first two games of the season, along with most of the rest of the Penguins. But if they are unable to find another level in the next handful of games, I don't think load management, at the very least, should be out of the question.
The Penguins have Spencer Stastney, and they have two very capable young defenders in Owen Pickering and Harrison Brunicke down at the AHL level. Of course, waivers and other roster moves would have to be made in order for the latter two to make the jump, but it will be interesting to monitor how those two are doing in comparison to the bottom pairing on the NHL club.
- The single-biggest story of this game was Murashov. And, boy, was he magnificent.
His performance through the end of overtime gives him a .938 save percentage through two starts on the season - the eighth-best mark in the NHL. Many of those saves were ten-bell saves, too, including one nearing the end of regulation on a Zach Werenski chance.
This guy is so far beyond his age when it comes to poise and confidence, and his quickness is effortless. The ease and speed at which he gets post-to-post, left-to-right, and up-and-down is insanely quick, and his anticipation and reads are phenomenal.
Arturs Silovs has mostly been fine to start the season, and given that the Penguins play a back-to-back, he will get the net Saturday against the Dallas Stars. But, right now - unless Silovs puts forth an effort against Dallas akin to his playoff performance last season - Murashov is quickly separating himself as the team's No. 1.
There is something different about this guy. This was a statement game from the rookie who looks absolutely nothing like a rookie out there, and it's something for Murashov to continue building on as the Penguins navigate a tough Western road trip starting Tuesday.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Boone Jenner’s goal in the second period proved to be the winner as the Washington Capitals beat the Rangers 3-1 on Friday night after New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin had to be helped from the ice after being injured.
Jenner scored on a wrist shot that made it a 2-1 game with 2:22 remaining in the second period. Tom Wilson and Timothy Liljegren also scored for the Capitals. Logan Thompson made 21 saves.
Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers.
Dylan Garand made 11 saves for the Rangers after entering the game for the injured Shesterkin, who had 13 saves.
Shesterkin had to be helped off the ice after an awkward fall into his own net. He came well out of his crease to challenge a shooter and fell as he scrambled back to the net midway through the second period. The 30-year-old Russian caught his skate on the post as he slid back into the crease and collapsed into the net.
Shesterkin lay on the ice for several minutes holding his right knee as he received medical attention. He did not put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice by teammates.
KRAKEN 6, RED WINGS 3
DETROIT (AP) — Frederick Gaudreau scored twice, Ben Myers had a goal and two assists and Seattle had a four-goal second period in a victory over Detroit.
Philipp Grubauer made 38 saves in Seattle’s first regulation victory in Detroit.
The fans at Little Caesars Arena’s chant of “Sell The Team! Sell The Team!” got louder and louder as the game drifted to a finish.
Detroit dominated early, putting eight shots on goal in the first seven minutes, but Grubauer made several tough saves.
The Red Wings were more successful with the man advantage, taking the lead at 9:19 when Viktor Arvidsson tapped the puck across the line after Grubauer didn’t cleanly handle Lucas Raymond’s shot. Arvidsson has power-play goals in each of Detroit’s last three games.
Seattle was being outshot 16-3 before Berkly Catton took a pass from Kaapo Kakko, drove to the net and put a backhander over Gibson’s pad.
Detroit defenseman William Wallinder made it 2-1 at 4:00 of the second with his first NHL goal, but the Kraken answered with three goals on their next four shots to take a two-goal lead.
Gaudreau got the first and third goals, both off passes from Ryan Winterton. Mackie Samoskevich scored the middle goal at 6:59 after Wallinder’s turnover.
BLUE JACKETS 3, PENGUINS 2, SO
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kent Johnson scored the only goal in a shootout to lift Columbus over Pittsburgh.
Damon Severson had a goal and an assist for Columbus. Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Cole Sillinger added two assists.
Cam Talbot made 20 saves and denied all three Pittsburgh attempts in the shootout.
Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins, who have dropped three straight games since winning their first two this season. Malkin tied it 2-all at 3:19 of the third period.
Johnson beat Sergei Murashov with a snap shot to begin the shootout.
Murashov stopped 43 shots in regulation.
The Blue Jackets outshot the Penguins 45-22 and won 66.7% of the faceoffs. Columbus outhit Pittsburgh 21-9.
The Penguins blocked 20 shots.
DUCKS 5, JETS 1
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Rookie Judd Caulfield scored his first NHL goal and added an assist to help Anaheim beat Winnipeg for its first regulation loss of the season.
Tim Washe and Mikael Granlund each had a goal and an assist, and Sam Colangelo and Nikita Nesterenko also scored to help the Ducks improve to 3-1-0.
Lukas Dostal stopped 15 shots or Anaheim, allowing only Kyle Conner’s goal.
After the Jets trimmed it to 3-1 midway through the third period, Granlund sunk Winnipeg’s hopes with a goal with 5:54 remaining.
Conner, who was playing in his 700th NHL game, pulled the Jets to 3-1 when Mark Scheifele sent him in alone on Dostal for his sixth goal of the season.
Clay Stevenson made 12 saves for Winnipeg. The Jets are 3-1-1.
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Rookie Judd Caulfield scored his first NHL goal and added an assist to help the Anaheim Ducks beat Winnipeg 5-1 on Friday night for the Jets' first regulation loss of the season.
Tim Washe and Mikael Granlund each had a goal and an assist, and Sam Colangelo and Nikita Nesterenko also scored to help the Ducks improve to 3-1-0.
Dostal stopped 15 shots or Anaheim, allowing only Kyle Conner's goal.
After the Jets trimmed it to 3-1 midway through the third period, Granlund sunk Winnipeg’s hopes with a goal with 5:54 remaining.
Conner, who was playing in his 700th NHL game, pulled the Jets to 3-1 when Mark Scheifele sent him in alone on Lukas Dostal for his sixth goal of the season.
Clay Stevenson made 12 saves for Winnipeg. The Jets are 3-1-1.
Garrett Whitlock pitches during the ninth inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 19, 2026 at at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida.
Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock spent the final month of the 2026 season pitching through a broken leg without knowing the full extent of his injury.
The 30-year-old right-hander was diagnosed with a fractured right tibia after Boston’s elimination from the postseason at the hands of the Yankees, according to the Boston Globe.
Whitlock had been dealing with leg discomfort throughout September but continued pitching during the Red Sox’s playoff push, leading to their American League wild-card series appearance against the Yankees.
Further evaluation following Boston’s postseason exit revealed the fracture, which had not previously been diagnosed.
Garrett Whitlock pitches during the ninth inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 19, 2026, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. Getty Images
Despite the injury, Whitlock put together an impressive final month of the regular season.
He made eight appearances in September, allowing zero earned runs across 7 ⅓ innings while recording nine strikeouts and two walks.
Whitlock also allowed just six hits during that stretch, helping Boston secure a postseason berth.
Unfortunately, Whitlock was ineffective in the playoffs, allowing three earned runs in just 1 ⅓ innings, finishing the postseason with a 20.25 ERA.
Garrett Whitlock pitches during the eighth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on August 29, 2026, in New York City. Getty Images
The Red Sox were aware of his discomfort and reportedly worked with Whitlock to manage the pain, although the fracture itself remained undetected.
Fortunately for Whitlock, the fracture is not expected to require surgery, according to the Globe.
He will reportedly spend four to six weeks in a walking boot while the injury heals, with the expectation that he will be healthy enough to participate in spring training next year, assuming the season starts on time amid rumors of a potential lockout.
Whitlock finished the regular season with a career-best 1.72 ERA across 54 appearances, striking out 59 batters and walking just nine over 52 ⅓ innings.
He also recorded a career-high 26 holds while serving as one of Boston’s primary setup options ahead of closer Aroldis Chapman.
The injury adds to a season in which Whitlock already spent time on the injured list with a left knee injury and later elbow inflammation.
Whitlock remains under team control with club options for the 2027 and 2028 seasons.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Cam Talbot became the first NHL goalie to win a game with nine different teams by stopping 20 shots in the Columbus Blue Jackets' 3-2 shootout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday night.
In his first season with Columbus, Talbot stopped all three of Chicago's shots in the shootout to surpass the previous record set by Curtis McElhinney, Sean Burke and Ron Tugnutt.
Talbot, in his 13th NHL season, has won games with the New York Rangers, Edmonton, Philadelphia, Calgary, Minnesota, Ottawa, Detroit and the Los Angeles Kings.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 24: Colorado Rockies outfielders Mickey Moniak (22), Cole Carrigg (16), and Jake McCarthy (31) celebrate the win after a game between the Boston Red Sox and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 24, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The offseason is in full swing and teams will be looking ahead to the moves they want to make. There can’t be any action until after the World Series has concluded, but that doesn’t mean teams can’t have discussions with players about their futures ahead of the potential lockout that is looming in early December.
One of the possible futures is a contract extension.
We saw the Rockies extend Mickey Moniak earlier this season, but there are a few others who might be candidates: Hunter Goodman, Jake McCarthy, and/or Cole Carrigg.
Goodman is a two-time All-Star and became the first Rockie to hit 40+ home runs in a season since Nolan Arenado in 2019. He also set all sorts of records both for catchers, Rockies, and Rockies catchers.
McCarthy was traded for last offseason and immediately made an impact on the roster. He became a threat all over the basepaths and set a tone for what the Rockies are potentially looking for in players.
Carrigg is “Mr. Utility” and that was on display this year. The switch-hitting INF/OF’s “hair on fire” style of play was on full display in 2026. While he is merely a rookie, we’ve seen plenty of teams extend young players in their first or second year.
What do you think, Rowers? Which of these players are prime candidates for an extension, or might they all be? Let us know in the comments!
NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar was suspended for two games without pay by the NHL on Friday night for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat on Thursday night.
The hit came with 1:35 left in the Islanders' 4-1 home victory. Nazar was assessed a match penalty.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Nazar will forfeit $68,041.
While the Knicks and their fans have spent much of the summer celebrating their first championship in 53 years, the upcoming contract situations of a few players have loomed over their heads. And if said players wanted to secure their futures before the start of the season, they were in for a good dose of bad news on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, Miles McBride, and Tyler Kolek all are extension eligible. Hart was asked about his future at the start of training camp and left the door open to anything. Towns and his on going negotiation’s progress, or lack there of, have taken over the news lately. And for good reason.
Many still believe that the two sides will eventually come together for a deal. But the fact that they are reportedly not even close is a bit concerning. Towns, as was on full display during the team’s championship run, is an incredibly pivotal part of the Knicks’ success. Losing him would be devastating as his shooting gravity and playmaking would be extremely difficult to replace. As if not being able to extend Town wasn’t bad enough though, the Knicks don’t seem close at all to really extending any of the other players as well either. And according to the Knicks themselves, it will remain that way for the foreseeable future.
We’ve all seen players make statements about how they want to hold off contract talks when the season begins because they want to focus solely on the upcoming season. But in a rare move, the Knicks were the ones to get ahead of the news and release an official statement.
“As an organization, our entire focus is on preparing for the upcoming season and delivering another year for our fans to be proud of,” a spokesperson from the Knicks said. “As a result, we will not be negotiating contract extensions until later in the season and will remain solely focused on preparing for the start of the season.”
Again, it’s rare for a team to be the one to make this statement. And it’s a bit frightening for fans knowing that such important pieces of the core’s future remains largely unknown. One would like to believe that between Towns’, Hart’s, and McBride’s significance to the club and their desire to stay a Knick we’d have some clearer answers by now.
The second apron continues to loom large so it’s understandable, realistic, and arguably smarter to not extend all three. McBride, unfortunately, was likely playing his last season here regardless of how these extensions went. But to potentially have a future where all, or at least more than one of them, aren’t Knicks would quickly lower the ceiling of this team. The Knicks still would have a core of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, along with Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara. But the Knicks are a significantly worse team without Towns and to a lesser degree, without Hart and McBride.
It’s not time for full on panic. Things like this have happened in the past with other negotiations, with everything eventually working out. It could also just be a leverage move. And the most important part is, all parties involved want to extend the marriage.
All that being said, it is hard to deny just how ominous of a start this is for a franchise coming off it’s highest of highs and looking to become the first team to win back-to-back championships for the first time in 53 years.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kent Johnson scored the only goal in a shootout to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on Friday night.
Damon Severson had a goal and an assist for Columbus. Mathieu Olivier also scored, and Cole Sillinger added two assists.
Cam Talbot made 20 saves and denied all three Pittsburgh attempts in the shootout.
Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins, who have dropped three straight games since winning their first two this season. Malkin tied it 2-all at 3:19 of the third period.
Johnson beat Sergei Murashov with a snap shot to begin the shootout.
Murashov stopped 43 shots in regulation.
The Blue Jackets outshot the Penguins 45-22 and won 66.7% of the faceoffs. Columbus outhit Pittsburgh 21-9.
The Penguins blocked 20 shots.
Up next
Penguins: Host the Dallas Stars on Saturday.
Blue Jackets: At the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Detroit Red Wings held a clear advantage in shots Friday night against the Seattle Kraken, but unfortunately, they couldn't turn that edge into the stat that matters most - goals.
Seattle made the most of their scoring chances while the Red Wings failed to do the same, with the Kraken scoring three times in a 3:05 span during a disastrous second period en route to a 6-3 victory at Little Caesars Arena and chasing goaltender John Gibson in the process.
With the loss, the Red Wings have now dropped three of their first four games of the 2026-27 season, all on home ice, and are 1-3 and in last place in the Atlantic Division.
They were considerably shorthanded once again, as forwards J.T. Compher, Marco Kasper, and Mason Appleton were all unavailable due to injury; defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains in his native Sweden amidst his contract stalemate.
The Red Wings had a strong start to the contest, taking a 12-3 shots advantage and a 1-0 lead thanks to Viktor Arvidsson; he buried a loose puck that got behind Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer of a Lucas Raymond shot midway through the period.
However, the Kraken responded later in the frame thanks to a backhand shot from Berkly Catton, which beat Gibson glove side.
Early in the second period, a shot from the point by rookie William Wallinder eluded Grubauer for the Swedish defenseman's first NHL goal. However, what followed was the stuff of nightmares for Detroit.
The Kraken scored three goals in just over three minutes, with Frederick Gaudreau finding the net twice and Mackie Samoskevich scoring in between.
After Ben Meyers increased Seattle's lead to 5-2, Gibson was pulled after allowing five goals on 14 shots; Daniil Tarasov, signed during the offseason, made his first appearance since joining the Red Wings.
He would later be victimized on a 5-on-3 Kraken power play, as Vince Dunn ripped a shot past him.
Late in the third, forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård would bury a loose puck during a goal-mouth scramble for his own first NHL goal.
As time wound down in the third period, frustrated fans who hadn't already left early to beat traffic voiced their displeasure with loud boos.
Grubauer was solid in net for Seattle, stopping 38 of the 41 shots he faced. Gibson, meanwhile, was pulled after allowing five goals on 14 shots, while Tarasov surrendered one goal on 10 shots in relief. Tarasov is slated to start Saturday's contest in Montreal.
The Red Wings will look to bounce back Saturday against the Canadiens at Bell Centre, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
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WASHINGTON — It’s impossible to overstate the challenge that lies ahead for the Rangers should the apparent right leg injury Igor Shesterkin sustained during the second period of Friday night’s 3-1 loss to the Capitals sideline him for the foreseeable future.
The Blueshirts would lose more than just the best goaltender in the NHL, who was off to an electric start to the season. Removing Shesterkin from the equation would be the equivalent of taking the spark plug out of a car engine: no ignition; nothing can run smoothly.
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What makes the potential loss so devastating is how much of a turbocharged, well-oiled machine the Rangers looked to be in the previous four games.
“It’s awful,” captain J.T. Miller said. “He’s a pillar of this team.”
The injury occurred during a second-period Capitals power play, when Shesterkin ventured far out of the crease to challenge an unmarked Pierre-Luc Dubois.
The Capitals forward lost the puck while attempting to make a move around him, but Shesterkin scrambled to get back into the net and slid his right leg into the post hard. His leg appeared to awkwardly bend back during the sequence, prompting Shesterkin to immediately fall onto his back.
Igor Shesterkin (31) of the New York Rangers lies in the net after being injured during the second period of a game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in Washington, Friday, Oct. 9, 2026. Getty Images
The 30-year-old slammed his glove on the ice in apparent pain as a Rangers trainer made his way onto the ice.
Without putting any weight on his right leg, Shesterkin had to be helped off the ice slowly.
“It’s concerning,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a big part of this team, without a doubt. I’ve said it on so many different occasions: He is amongst the best goalies in the world, if not the best. He’s that good.”
Backstopping the Rangers in three of the first four games, Shesterkin looked automatic in net with 88 saves on 95 shots for a .926 save percentage. He’s made an impact on the scoresheet with the Rangers’ historic first goalie goal and added an assist, while also acting as an extra facilitator on the back end in all situations — a skill of his he’s used more than usual this season.
Shesterkin helped provide the kind of start to the season that makes a team believe.
In one swift motion, the 2026-27 campaign was clouded with uncertainty.
The Rangers already have one goalie on injured reserve: Joonas Korpisalo, who has yet to play a game after suffering a lower-body injury sometime during the start of the season. Slated to serve as backup to Shesterkin before the injury, Korpisalo was labeled as week to week and has yet to resume skating.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) is helped off the ice after being injured. Getty Images
As a result, rookie Dylan Garand was summoned back to New York less than a week after he was among the last round of cuts in training camp.
Garand stopped 11 of the 12 shots he faced Friday night in relief. With just five games of NHL experience, the 24-year-old Garand would assume starting responsibilities after beginning the season as the Rangers’ third-stringer.
The Rangers also will need to make a call to Hartford should Shesterkin be out for any period of time. Spencer Martin is not an option due to a lower-body injury that has him classified as day to day.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) is helped off the ice after being injured against the Washington Capitals during the second period. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Callum Tung, who at 22 has just 20 AHL games to his name, could be the Rangers’ backup goalie Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
“We’re not going to let [Igor’s injury] take the wind out of our sails,” Miller said. “We still competed our asses off today.”
The Rangers did not crater in the face of a potentially devastating injury to their star goalie.
With the game tied 1-1 and Garand in goal, the visitors bent but didn’t break for much of Washington’s push in the middle frame. It wasn’t until rookie Cole Beaudoin surrendered the puck up the middle of the Rangers zone that the Capitals broke through on a goal from Boone Jenner.
It was a particularly tough game for the 20-year-old Beaudoin, who was recalled and made his NHL debut Wednesday in the wake of Joe Veleno’s IR designation. In addition to his two giveaways, Beaudoin looked overwhelmed at times in the defensive zone.
“You see arguably your very best player [go down], that’s a tough loss for our team,” Sullivan said. “I thought we fought hard. We battled. Our third period was probably our best. I thought we had the right intentions out there, just trying to control play.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Boone Jenner's goal in the second period proved to be the winner as the Washington Capitals beat the Rangers 3-1 on Friday night after New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin had to be helped from the ice after being injured.
Jenner scored on a wrist shot that made it a 2-1 game with 2:22 remaining in the second period. Tom Wilson and Timothy Liljegren also scored for the Capitals. Logan Thompson made 21 saves.
Alexis Lafreniere scored for the Rangers.
Dylan Garand made 11 saves for the Rangers after entering the game for the injured Shesterkin, who had 13 saves.
Shesterkin had to be helped off the ice after an awkward fall into his own net. He came well out of his crease to challenge a shooter and fell as he scrambled back to the net midway through the second period. The 30-year-old Russian caught his skate on the post as he slid back into the crease and collapsed into the net.
Shesterkin lay on the ice for several minutes holding his right knee as he received medical attention. He did not put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice by teammates.
The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner missed a month of last season with a lower-body injury, contributing to the Rangers falling short of the playoffs.
LA swept the Brewers in four games on its quest to back-to-back World Series titles last year. Now, the Dodgers are looking to beat Milwaukee for a shot at a three-peat.
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) stands on first base against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning in game three of the NLDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Truist Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectMilwaukee Brewers’ Sal Frelick (10) reacts after scoring on a single. AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
“You got to keep them completely separate… they have more experience. They’re just better,” Betts said.
Betts is certainly accurate in his assessment of Milwaukee, who boasts the best record in baseball. Both the Dodgers and Brewers ended the regular season with a 100 wins, but it’s evident LA isn’t viewing the NLCS as a guaranteed win.
Milwaukee Brewers players celebrate after defeating the San Diego Padres in Game 4 of baseball’s National League Division Series Wednesday. AP Photo/Derrick Tuskan
Both teams are incredibly deep in all facets so the series is bound to come down to the little things. Whichever team is nearest perfection will like be the group representing the NL in the 2026 Fall Classic.
The NLCS is not a David and Goliath situation. It’s two juggernaut baseball teams built completely differently, but both incredibly lethal.
The Chicago Blackhawks lost Frank Nazar for the final couple of minutes in regulation of their loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday night. He was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for an illegal check to the head against forward Bo Horvat.
During the day on Friday, Frank Nazar was offered a phone hearing to determine supplemental discipline. Later on Friday, the verdict was announced. Nazar has been suspended for two games.
Chicago’s Frank Nazar has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head against NY Islanders’ Bo Horvat. https://t.co/2NbknT4yX8
The summary of the suspension comes down to the fact that the NHL's Department of Player Safety decided that the main point of contact was the head. Nazar's lack of a fine or suspension in his NHL career played into it being just two games, according to the official video that followed his suspension.
Nazar will now miss Saturday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, and Tuesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It's a tough set of games for the Blackhawks to be without Nazar, but it's the reality of the situation.
Now, the Hawks are without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar. That's a large amount of offense out of their lineup. With Teuvo Teravainen likely out again as well, there is a lot of skill on the sideline.
This suspension may force the Blackhawks into a call-up. Dominic Toninato is already up, so Landon Slaggert may be on the next ride to Chicago from the Rockford IceHogs.
The morning skate on Saturday will be a greater hint at what lines look like without Nazar in the mix. What seems to be decent center depth is being tested early in the season, but they just have to tread water for a little while longer until Connor Bedard comes back.
One of Anton Frondell or Roman Kantserov is likely going to center the top line with Patrick Kane. These were going to be hard matchups anyway, and this verdict by the NHL's department of player safety just made them even harder.
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