The NHL regular season is heading for a two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. So the New York Rangers, like every other team, wanted to go into that break on a winning note. Thankfully, they succeeded after tenacious efforts saw them beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period. However, it won’t be sunshine and rainbows for the team during the next two weeks.

That’s because Igor Shesterkin, the familiar face in front of the Rangers’ net, was missing. Instead, Jonathan Quick filled in for goaltending duties. Unfortunately, replacing Shesterskin right before the two-week break wasn’t a strategic decision by coach Peter Laviolette. He was instead forced to make the change after announcing some news that didn’t sit well with Rangers fans.

And what was that news? Shesterkin sustained an upper-body injury that will keep him away from action for the next two weeks. If everything goes the New York Rangers goaltender’s way, he may recover before the projected two weeks. That means the 29-year-old will be ready to return once the regular season resumes for the Rangers on February 23 against the Sabres.

However, on the flip side, it might take the goalie longer than two weeks. Thankfully, Shesterkin will get plenty of rest since Russia won’t compete in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Even Coach Laviolette agreed. “There is a little bit of time coming up here, that’s useful. There’s no games being played so that’s a useful thing,” said the Rangers coach.

Despite the road to recovery looking relatively easy, Laviolette wasn’t thrilled. “You don’t like to see that, I don’t want to see any of our players go down with injury,” added the coach. Unfortunately, the fans didn’t really line up to empathize with the goalie’s misfortune.

New York Rangers fans expressed their feelings through a hefty dose of sarcasm

The fans weren’t in the mood to offer much support, despite the goaltender suffering an upper-body injury. In fact, some fans claimed that the Rangers could win more games with another goaltender in front of the net. “Great now maybe we can win a few games!” the netizen commented on X. Others left similar comments.

“No loss – He’s overrated. I’ll take Quickie anytime,” wrote another New York Rangers fan, demanding Jonathan Quick to become the primary choice. Yet, why did fans turn on Igor Shesterskin when he’s already down? It may be because of the goaltender’s recent downturn in form. After all, the 2024-25 season has statistically been the worst one for Shesterkin, with his current GAA at 2.87.

Moreover, after 39 games, the goalie has more losses than wins on his resume this season. The unimpressive 18-19-3 record so far looks like a far cry from last season’s 36-17-4. As if that wasn’t enough, the 29-year-old downturn comes after he signed an eight-year contract extension worth a whopping $92 million.

Meanwhile, the sarcasm continued in the comments. “Dude’s pride is hurt so bad that he’s out for 2 weeks,” commented one fan. The fan who wrote the comment referenced the New York Rangers’ 3-2 loss against the Pittsburgh Penguins. However, you may be wondering why the fan was so harsh after the Rangers won their previous two matches.

Another fan’s sarcastic comment revealed the reason behind the jibe. “Hurt his brain last night trying to make sense of how he lost to the Crosby and Malkin-less ’25 Penguins,” the NHL fan commented on the post. Despite beating Pittsburg seven times in their last 10 meetings, and the Penguins missing Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, the Rangers still lost.

The comments made it clear that many thought Igor Shesterskin had conceded far too many goals this season. However, some fans didn’t think the news was too concerning, as the New York Rangers will go on a two-week break anyway. “Well that’s convenient timing,” commented one hockey fan. The Rangers recalling AHL goaltender Dylan Garand may have also put some fans at ease. Yet, what do you feel about Igor Shesterskin’s injury? Write your views in the comments.