Scorched Goalie Joins NHL Fracas after Whistle Blows
A rare sight occurred during the New York Rangers’ 5-0 win over the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Rangers’ star goalie Igor Shesterkin charged into the middle of a scrum after the whistle blew, showing he was ready to swing.
The incident started when Senators’ captain Brady Tkachuk went after a loose puck around Shesterkin’s neck, sending the goalie back into his own net. Shesterkin was quickly surrounded by his teammates as they defended their goalie, and the Senators responded by sending players to Tkachuk’s defense.
As the chaos began to subside, Shesterkin got up and charged into the melee, heading straight for Tkachuk. Tkachuk punched at Shesterkin’s helmet, knocking him down, while Shesterkin threw his blocker at Tkachuk.
The referees intervened, removing Shesterkin from the scrum and handing out penalties to multiple players. Shesterkin was given a two-minute penalty for leaving the goalie’s crease, while Rempe and Tkachuk received double-minor penalties for roughing. Tkachuk was also penalized for goalie interference.
The incident did not impact the game’s outcome, as the Rangers ended up on a power play after the penalties and Artemi Panarin scored to make it 4-0. The Rangers went on to win 5-0.
Shesterkin’s actions marked a rare instance of a superstar goalie joining the fray after the whistle. For his part, Shesterkin was penalized but continued his shutout streak, saving all 20 of the Senators’ shots on net. The Rangers have now won seven of their last 11 games and have surged back into the wild-card race.
