Rangers HC Peter Laviolette has 4-word explanation for pulling $92,000,000 goalie Igor Shesterkin amid 6-2 loss to Lightning

New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette had a simple explanation for pulling star goalie Igor Shesterkin in the midst of a 6-2 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

Shesterkin allowed five goals on just 13 shots in the first two periods. When asked about the reason for pulling the goalie, Laviolette said:

"It was the game."

Shesterkin, who signed an eight-year $92 million contract extension in Dec 6, had a rare poor outing against the Lightning. Laviolette pulled him at 8:08 of the second period with the Rangers facing a 5-1 deficit.

The Rangers gave up two power play goals and went 0-for-4 on their own man advantage chances.

"Can't do that. We talked about it. And, so it was, we got to give ourselves the best opportunity to be successful and going to the penalty box isn't going to be that chance that we need. And so we need to be more disciplined," Laviolette said about the parade to the penalty box.

Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin scored for New York. In relief, Jonathan Quick allowed one goal in 12 shots.

Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli, Jake Guentzel, Ryan McDonagh and Nicholas Paul scored for the Lightning, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 42 shots

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Game Recap: Rangers lose 6-2 to Lightning

Nikita Kucherov opened the scoring for Tampa Bay with a power-play goal in the first period before Artemi Panarin quickly responded to tie it for New York.

Ryan McDonagh then scored a short-handed goal on a 3-on-1 rush past Shesterkin’s arm. Point made it 3-1 with an Kucherov assist, scoing backhand on the left corner.

Cirelli then scored a short-handed goal on a 2-on-1 rush from Brandon Hagel's assist from a turnover.

"Result-wise this is not what we wanted," Rangers center Mika Zibanejad said."We can talk about a reset, we can talk about whatever, but if the result is not there it's not going to matter. I don't think it was a 6-2 game.

"Special teams kind of got to us. We don't score on our power play (0-for-4) and we let in two goals. We put ourselves in a bad spot."

Vincent Trocheck's short-handed effort early in the third proved too little too late, as Nick Paul's goal sealed Tampa Bay' 6-2 win.