Shesterkin self-critical after loss to Devils: 'Played a shit game again'

Igor Shesterkin was his own harshest critic after the New York Rangers fell 5-3 to the New Jersey Devils on Monday.

"The goalie played a shit game again," Shesterkin said following the loss. "I feel so bad and play so bad. I'm ashamed."

He added: "Every goal is easy play for me. I have to stop those. If our team wants to win the game, I have to play better."

The Rangers have now lost eight of their last 12 games. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead over their Metropolitan Division rivals on Monday, but the red-hot Devils responded with four unanswered goals to take a lead they never relinquished.

New York head coach Gerard Gallant disagreed with his star goaltender shouldering the blame.

"The team's a problem," he said, per SNY TV. "The whole group of us - coaches, the whole group. We've got to turn it around."

Shesterkin entered Monday's contest with a 10-3-3 record and .914 save percentage - respectable numbers, but well below the standard he established in his 2021-22 Vezina-winning campaign.

The loss dropped the Rangers to 10-9-4 on the season. They now sit three points back of a playoff spot in the Metro and one point back of the second wild-card position in the Eastern Conference.

Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.