Scrums after the whistle are a common occurrence in the NHL, but it’s not often that you see a superstar goalie like Igor Shesterkin get involved. During the New York Rangers’ 5-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, Shesterkin charged into the middle of a melee after the whistle and was ready to throw some punches.
The incident occurred with 12:51 left in the third period, when the Rangers were up 3-0. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk went after a loose puck and ran into Shesterkin, sending the goalie back into his own net. The Rangers’ five players on the ice came to their goalie’s defense, and the rest of the Senators’ players came to Tkachuk’s defense, resulting in a shoving match.
As the chaos began to dwindle, Shesterkin got up and charged into the melee, going after Tkachuk. Tkachuk punched at Shesterkin’s helmet, knocking him down, and Shesterkin threw a blocker at Tkachuk. The two continued to exchange blows until the referees intervened, removing Shesterkin from the scrum.
The incident resulted in a lot of penalties, with Shesterkin being penalized two minutes for leaving the goalie’s crease, while Rempe and Tkachuk were given double-minor penalties for roughing. Shesterkin’s actions earned him a lot of praise from his teammates and the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Despite the drama, the Rangers ended up on the power play and scored to make it 4-0. The win was their seventh in 11 games, putting them back in the wild-card race. Shesterkin was also impressive in net, saving all 20 of the Senators’ shots on goal for his second straight shutout.
