"He's turned into such a little crybaby": NHL fans left unimpressed by Igor Shesterkin's gut punch to Matthew Tkachuk

NHL fans on social media didn't seem impressed with Igor Shesterkin for throwing shots at Matthew Tkachuk in the gut. The incident happened during the Rangers versus Panthers Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final series at MSG on Thursday.

The situation unfolded towards the end of the second period. Shesterkin, the Blueshirts goalie, found himself in a crowded net area with players from both teams battling for the puck. Amid the chaos, the Panthers' Tkachuk got too close to Shesterkin, creating pressure on him.

In response, Igor Shesterkin swiftly dealt a punch to Matthew Tkachuk in the midsection area. However, the Rangers goalie received no call on the play.

Here's a video of the play:

Fans wasted no time in reacting to the play, with one tweeting:

"He’s turned into such a little crybaby"

Another fan chimed in:

"Apparently Igor is getting frustrated."

"God another should be penalty on igor that NHL ignores cause they need NY to win, at least make it less obvious," one fan opined.

Here are some of the other top reactions on X. One wrote:

"According to espn. He lives in the “blue paint” and is Allowed to"

"Dudes such a fish on the ice and all he does is cry," another chimed in.

"Igor is a loser," one X user said.

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Igor Shesterkin had a witty response to Matthew Tkachuk's trash talk

After the Rangers' 5-4 overtime victory in Game 3, where Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves, he was questioned about handling Tkachuk's one-ice trash banter during their intense Eastern Conference final series.

In response to the question, the 28-year-old Russian netminder humorously said:

"I'm lucky because I don't speak English."

Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers beat the Rangers 3-2 in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden to take a 3-2 lead in the series. Chris Kreider put the Blueshirts up 1-0 after scoring a short-handed goal at 2:04.

Gustav Forsling tied it 1-1 for the Panthers before heading into the second period. Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers to put them up 2-1 at 10:21 after scoring a wrist shot goal from the left circle.

Sam Bennett made it 3-1 after scoring on the empty net with less than two minutes remaining in the third period. Alex Lafreniere made it 3-2 for the Rangers with less than 50 seconds remaining in the matchup.

The Florida Panthers are one win away from moving into the Stanley Cup final for the second consecutive time. Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers will look to even the series at Amerant Bank in Game 6 on Saturday.