The first NHL playoff match between the Rangers and Pittsburgh turned out to be tense and protracted: Evgeni Malkin decided the outcome of the meeting only in the third overtime, and Igor Shesterkin celebrated a unique goalkeeping achievement. But the defeat spoiled his holiday.

Predicting the outcome of this series is incredibly difficult, even for experts. The rivals are evenly matched – the Rangers have great performers and the best goaltender in the NHL Shesterkin, while Pittsburgh has huge cup experience and incredible offensive pressure. Not surprisingly, the winner of the first meeting was determined only on the basis of three overtimes. The marathon that the rivals staged on the ice of Madison Square Garden allowed Shesterkin to go down in history not only for his club, but for the entire league.

The home walls factor played in the first period for the Rangers: charged fans drove their favorites forward from the starting minutes, and defender Adam Fox opened the scoring in the first period, having converted the majority. By the beginning of the second, the club from New York had doubled the advantage, but at that moment the “penguins” finally woke up.

They spent a shock twenty minutes, literally not leaving the other side of the site. Shesterkin had to experience a hail of attacks, and at the end of the period, Pittsburgh transferred the Rangers with a score of 25:8. But thanks to the skill of the Russian goalkeeper, only three goals flew into his gate – the goalkeeper of the rivals, Casey DeSmit, missed the same number.

After a shootout in the second twenty-minute period, a drought set in in the match, and the forces of the two teams became equal. The meeting flowed first into one overtime, then into the second, during which Pittsburgh changed DeSmit to the inexperienced Luis Dominguez due to injury, and then into the third. In New York, the time was approaching midnight, the fans were frankly tired. What to say about hockey players!

Experience nevertheless defeated youth in this meeting: Evgeni Malkin put an end to the match, who right in front of Shesterkin’s nose corrected the puck launched from the blue line. The Rangers goalkeeper had little chance of deflecting it.

Evgeni Malkin / Photo: © REUTERS / Andy Marlin – USA TODAY Sports

Despite the defeat, Shesterkin became a real hero and the second star of the meeting. He saved 79 shots, the most in a single game by the Rangers and second in NHL history. More than him – 85 – only on account of the Finnish goalkeeper Joonas Korpisalo, who played for Columbus in the series against Tampa Bay in the 2019/2020 season. Surprisingly, both record holders lost their matches. By the way, 49 of the shots reflected by Shesterkin were repulsed in a row, starting from the second period and ending with the third overtime.

“Shesterkin is everything for the Rangers”, “Shesterkin is simply unreal”, “Igor is priceless” – fans in social networks overflowed in compliments to the Rangers goalkeeper. Even Malkin noted his game, finding the strength to comment:

“He’s just incredible,” said the three-time Stanley Cup winner. “For sure, he will win the Vezina. But facing him is a huge test for all strikers, including me and Sidney Crosby.

Surely, such compliments flattered Shesterkin, but on this day he was probably ready to trade the record for victory in the first match of the series. In addition, it was especially significant for him: although the fans were already accustomed to the dominance of the Russian goaltender in the NHL, this meeting with Pittsburgh was only the second in his career in the Stanley Cup. And while Shesterkin has no victories in the playoffs.