Igor Shesterkin is pretty damn good, huh? The Rangers goaltender put on a clinic in the team’s two wins in Canada on Saturday and Monday, leading the way to their first two wins of the season. This is exactly what the Blueshirts signed up for when they made him the heir to the throne after Henrik Lundqvist. The rest of the Rangers will need to follow his lead and step their game up.
To talk Shesterkin, King Henrik on MSG Network and everything Rangers, we bring you a new episode of the “Up In The Blue Seats” podcast with Ron Duguay and Mollie Walker, featuring their weekly convo with The Post’s Larry Brooks. The crew also chats with the man next to Henrik on MSG, his former backup goalie, Steve Valiquette.
Up In The Blue Seats Podcast with Ron, Mollie & Jake:
- OH, CANADA: Mollie breaks down her first time in Montreal (besides her one time there in college) and the feel in the arena Saturday for the home opener. Ron talks about how nice the people were when he played there. Alexis Lafreniére was all smiles speaking to the abundance of media there after his big goal in his Canada homecoming.
- IGOR, IGOR, IGOR: The Rangers can’t rely on Igor to be that tremendous all season. They need to pick up their play around him if they want to win more games. He was electric to watch, but they need to score more goals.
- BEST WISHES: Ron also sends thoughts and prayers to Islanders great Mike Bossy, who was diagnosed with lung cancer, and gives a happy birthday shoutout to ex-Rangers coach Mike Keenan.
Steve Valiquette Interview:
Former Rangers goalie, MSG Network analyst
- HENRIK: How’s life working next to Henrik on MSG Network? Vally has stepped up his suit game and still gets chirping on Twitter. How long did he have that one liner planned and will he have more for Henrik?
- IGOR: Probably won’t play a back-to-back until later in the season if they are in a playoff rush. He’s got showmanship, is having fun and is confident out there.
- PLAYOFFS: The Rangers can make the playoffs, but need to improve defensively. It’s not sustainable the way they are playing. They have been bottom of the league in chances against the rush.
Larry Brooks Interview:
Post’s Rangers beat writer
- SHESTERKIN: This is the goalie the Rangers thought they had. How many games will he end up starting this season?
- DEPTH: Rangers have to score more. Their lack of depth is showing. They have the cap space to add more help, especially at center. Could there be a few lineup shakeups and different pairings?
- FACE-OFFS: Why are the Rangers so bad at face-offs and how do they change that? Need to bring in a face-off coach. They have been terrible for years at this.
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Catch up on all episodes of “Up In The Blue Seats,” a New York Rangers podcast, by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop Thursdays during the regular season.