Rangers Hoping To Get ‘The Best Version’ Of Goaltending Tandem Following Joonas Korpisalo’s Return

The New York Rangers are striving to get the most out of their goaltending room in the wake of Joonas Korpisalo’s return to the lineup.

When Igor Shesterkin suffered a season-ending injury on Oct. 9, the Rangers were put in a difficult position, being forced to solely rely on rookie goaltender Dylan Garand with Korpisalo on injured reserve.

Garand started 10 of the Rangers’ 11 games after Shesterkin went down, as the fatigue and burden of a strenuous workload were beginning to show in his game.

Korpisalo returned to the lineup during the Rangers’ current road trip, and it has certainly made a difference.

Through three games, Korpisalo started two while Garand started one, as Mike Sullivan looks to split the workload to help ensure both of his goalies receive the necessary rest.

In his two starts against the Seattle Kraken and Calgary Flames, Korpisalo recorded two wins, a 2.01 goals-against average, and a .931 save percentage.

In 14 appearances this season, Garand posted a 6-7-1 record, a 2.48 goals-against average, and a .905 save percentage.

The return of Korpisalo has allowed the Rangers to find a goaltending balance that could prove to be a sustainable strategy for the remainder of the season without Shesterkin.

“Both of these guys are giving us a chance to win right now. … Now that Korpi’s back in the mix, I just think it gives us the ability to share the workload,” Sullivan said of his goaltending tandem.

“And I think the benefit of sharing the workload is potentially getting the best version of both guys, because they're both going to see action, but they're both going to have the ability to recover. They'll get some quality reps with our goalie coach (Jeff Malcolm) that keeps their game sharp on the off days. I think it could be a real good tandem for us.”

Replacing Shesterkin, who is widely considered to be one of the top goalies across the entire NHL, is no easy task, but in a small sample size, the Korpisalo-Garand duo is giving hope that the team could remain competitive despite losing Shesterkin for the season.