New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin let in seven goals as his team succumbed to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night. The frustration among Rangers fans was palpable on social media following their team's 7-3 defeat.
The dynamic duo of Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner wreaked havoc on the Rangers, each scoring twice in a commanding performance. Veteran goalie Martin Jones, making his first start for Toronto, stood tall with 28 saves.
Despite cutting the deficit to one goal in a spirited second-period rally by the Rangers, the Maple Leafs' offensive prowess proved insurmountable. Marner's power-play goal early in the third period dealt a final blow, sealing the Rangers' third loss in four games.
For Rangers fans, the frustration was magnified by the fact that their star goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, was unable to stem the Maple Leafs' scoring onslaught.
The loss follows a recent 4-1 victory against the Kings. However, the disappointment of consecutive road losses and a subpar defensive performance left fans questioning the team's resilience and Igor Shesterkin's performance.
"Bench Igor" - one X(formerly Twitter) user wrote
Maple Leafs Overwhelm Rangers 7-3 as Igor Shesterkin Struggles to Stem the Offensive Tide
In a goal-packed spectacle, the Maple Leafs triumphed over the Rangers showcasing a relentless offensive display.
Auston Matthews set the tone early, netting the opening goal at 3:52 of the first period in a slick 2-on-1 play with William Nylander. Just over a minute later, Conor Timmins joined the scoring frenzy, notching his first goal of the season at 5:07 with a precise wrist shot from the right point.
The Rangers responded quickly, as Blake Wheeler narrowed the gap to 2-1 at 5:42 with a goal off a rebound from the left circle. However, Toronto continued to assert their dominance. Calle Jarnkrok extended the lead to 3-1 at 15:20, and Mitch Marner capitalized on a give-and-go with Matthews, making it 4-1 just 21 seconds later.
Mika Zibanejad ignited hope for the Rangers with a power-play goal at 16:30 of the second period, and Wheeler's second goal at 18:26 brought the score to 4-3. However, the Maple Leafs sealed the game in the third period. Marner struck again on the power play at 1:29, Matthews added another at 17:11, and David Kampf secured the 7-3 final with an empty-net goal at 18:33.