The Washington Capitals beat the New York Rangers 3-1 on Friday night after Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin left with a right leg injury in the second period.
Alexis Lafreniere opened the scoring for New York in the first period before Washington answered with goals from Timothy Liljegren and Jenner. Shesterkin stopped 13 of 14 shots before exiting, and backup Dylan Garand finished with 11 saves in relief. Logan Thompson made 21 saves for the Capitals in the win.
Shesterkin Injury Defines The Night
Shesterkin was helped off the ice after jamming his right skate into the post while scrambling back into his crease during a Washington power play, according to NHL.com. His right leg bent awkwardly as he fell, and he was helped down the tunnel without putting weight on it.
The 30-year-old had been one of the league’s sharpest goaltenders to start the season. He entered the game 3-1-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage through four starts, and he had scored his first career NHL goal in a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay on Oct. 1. The Houston Chronicle noted Shesterkin is a 2022 Vezina Trophy winner who also missed a month last season with a lower-body injury, a stretch that contributed to New York missing the playoffs.
Key Moments: How Washington Pulled Ahead
Lafreniere put the Rangers on the board at 10:17 of the first period on a snap shot, assisted by J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev. Washington answered in the second when Timothy Liljegren beat Shesterkin with a slap shot at 6:08, with Dylan Strome and Ryan Leonard drawing assists.
Jenner then scored the decisive goal at 17:38 of the second, a snap shot that put the Capitals ahead 2-1. Wilson sealed it with 1 second left in regulation on a wrist shot assisted by Vincent Desharnais, making the final 3-1.
Top Performers
Jenner finished as Washington’s game leader with one goal and three shots on goal in 13:37 of ice time. Desharnais logged the primary assist on Wilson’s late goal and added three blocked shots on the back end. Thompson’s 21 saves on 22 shots gave him a .955 save percentage in the win.
For New York, Lafreniere scored the team’s lone goal. Garand stopped 11 of 14 shots he faced after replacing Shesterkin.
What’s Next
The Capitals host the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, while the Rangers return home to face the Vancouver Canucks the same day. New York’s update on Shesterkin’s status will likely come before that matchup, though no timeline has been given publicly for his return.
The loss dropped New York to 4-2-0 in the Metropolitan Division. Washington improved to 3-1-0.
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