Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Rangers Coach Mike Sullivan Reacts After Igor Shesterkin’s Performance in Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 2:00 PM ET

Mike Sullivan didn’t have to wait long for his first win as head coach of the New York Rangers, and he has superstar goaltender Igor Shesterkin to thank for making it happen.

Two nights after a frustrating season-opening loss to Sullivan’s former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers rebounded with a dominant 4–0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

Shesterkin was key to New York's win on Thursday, and he could very well have been on the season-opening loss if judging him entirely on a statistical basis.

The 29-year-old stopped all 37 shots he faced against the Sabres, including a barrage of power-play chances in the second period, to earn his 22nd career shutout and vault the Rangers to their first win of the season. He was coming off saving 28-of-29 shots on Tuesday.

Mike Sullivan on having Igor Shesterkin on his side as a goaltender:

"It sure is nice, I tell ya" pic.twitter.com/r7nlbaCdFt
— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) October 10, 2025

After years of coaching against Shesterkin in the Metropolitan Division, Sullivan didn’t hide his appreciation for having him on his side now.

“It sure is nice,” Sullivan said after the game. “He’s a world-class goalie. He’s one of the best. You get timely saves like he gives you — he makes it really hard on other teams sometimes. We certainly don’t take that for granted.”

Sullivan praised his team’s response following Tuesday’s loss, calling Thursday’s performance “a good step” toward the structure and discipline he wants to build. He admitted there’s still work to do but said Shesterkin’s poise set the tone.

“He was terrific tonight,” Sullivan said. “He was terrific the other night also.”

Shesterkin has opened the 2025-26 season with a 1-1 record and a 0.50 goals against average, along with a .985 save percentage. Albeit a tiny sample size, the Rangers' netminder has the highest SV% and GAA among goalies with two games played through Thursday.

New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin (31) during the second period against the Vancouver Canucks at Madison Square Garden.Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The win carried special meaning for the coach, who called the milestone “humbling” even after having already won two Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins in his previous NHL job.

“It's humbling,” Sullivan said . “I've said this on a number of occasions since I got the job, and it's an incredible honor to be the head coach of the New York Rangers, a franchise that has such history to it. For me, it's just a privilege that I don't take for granted. So to get the first win, it means a lot to me.”

The Rangers will take on the Penguins in an early-season rematch on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, this time on the road at PPG Paints Arena.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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