Pat Pickens
The New Jersey Devils have dominated their cross-Hudson-rival New York Rangers for much of the past two seasons.
But the Rangers finally punched back Tuesday, both literally and metaphorically.
The Rangers dominated from the game’s outset, then Igor Shesterkin delivered a knockout blow to both Jacob Markstrom and the Devils by winning the much-ballyhooed goalie fight and the game 4-1 at MSG.
The Devils fell for the second time in three games, with both losses coming against a Metropolitan Division rival. Their tragic number, where they will be eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention, is six.
The Devils Were Flat At MSG
The Rangers have been one of the worst teams at home all season, and the Devils have skated circles around them over the past two seasons there.
But in a game the Devils needed to keep their ever-so-faint playoff hopes alive, they were not ready to play. New Jersey gave up nine high-danger chances in the first period and two goals, including a power-play goal to J.T. Miller, which was just his second at the Garden all season.
“I thought they were really good tonight, and we weren’t nearly as good,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Defensively, we weren’t nearly strong enough when it was time to defend.”
Devils captain Nico Hischier echoed Keefe’s sentiments.
“They just played harder,” Hischier said. “They wanted it more, and they played hard. … We couldn’t find a way.”
Markstrom made five first-period saves, and stopped only 18 shots in the game. But the Devils mustered just eight high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5 and surrendered 20 at all situations in the game.
“We made life real hard on [Markstrom], even when we didn’t need to,” Keefe said. “We’ve got to defend better, and we’ve got to find ways to execute on offense.”
Jacob Markstrom Tried to Give His Team a Jolt By Fighting Igor Shesterkin
The much-publicized goalie fight between Markstrom and Shesterkin is what will be talked about for years to come. Members of the Rangers applauded their goalie for meeting Markstrom’s challenge. But the Devils goalie explained why that was the moment for him to pick a fight with the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner.
“I felt like I needed to do something,” Markstrom said. “It’s frustrating letting in four goals, and you want to get involved, you want to do something. As a goalie, that’s not really my job.
“We’re down 4-1, and I was just trying to get a spark or something.”
Keefe recognized Markstrom’s effort trying to spark his club by skating the rink and challenging Shesterkin to drop the gear, even though he took the brunt of Shesterkin’s punches.
“That shows he’s a competitor,” Keefe said. “In a moment like that, with where we’re at in the season, it takes a lot of courage, but it also shows you’re a competitor to skate the rink with no hesitation and going and doing that, then put your stuff back out and go out and kill a penalty, that’s a pretty exceptional job.
“He’s one guy that I thought battled all game. If anything, a fight like that should send a message to the group of how invested [Markstrom] is and we need the rest of the group all the time.”
