Igor Shesterkin Scores First Goalie Goal in Rangers History

Igor Shesterkin Makes Franchise History With Empty-Net Goal Against Tampa Bay

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin became the first netminder in franchise history to score a goal, firing the puck the length of the ice into the Tampa Bay Lightning’s vacated net with 2:34 remaining in regulation. The historic tally sealed a 5-1 victory at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.

The Historic Play and On-Ice Execution

The play developed in the game’s waning minutes when the Lightning pulled their goaltender to gain an extra attacker in a search for offense. The puck came loose out of the corner and dropped directly onto Shesterkin’s stick. Without hesitating, the netminder launched a clearing shot down the ice.

A screen of skaters blocked Shesterkin’s immediate line of sight as the puck traveled the length of the sheet. “I didn’t see the puck land,” Shesterkin said afterward, according to Associated Press reporting, noting his initial confusion over whether he could celebrate. The puck bounced cleanly over the goal line, securing his place in the record books as the 18th goaltender in NHL history to score a goal. It is the 21st goalie goal in NHL history, 19th in the regular season.

Player	Team	Game Result	Key Stat Line
Igor Shesterkin	New York Rangers	Won, 5-1	24 saves on 25 shots, 1 Goal
Andrei Vasilevskiy	Tampa Bay Lightning	Lost, 1-5	Pulled for extra attacker, conceded empty-netter
Mika Zibanejad	New York Rangers	Won, 5-1	1 Goal

Teammate Reactions and Puck-Handling Proneness

Long-tenured teammate Mika Zibanejad noted the frequency of Shesterkin’s past attempts from the bench. “I feel like probably a dozen times I’ve been on the bench thinking, ’OK, this one goes in,’ and he barely misses,” Zibanejad told the Associated Press. “Just seeing this one go in, the way he played today and obviously the amount of chances that he’s had to do that and now finally get it, it was great.”

Photo: Toronto Star

Entering Rare NHL Goalie Scoring Territory

The victory pushes the Rangers to a 1-1-0 record early in the campaign, underpinned by a .936 save percentage from their netminder alongside his unexpected offensive contribution. Shesterkin stopped 24 of 25 shots on the night, with Nikita Kucherov standing as the only Lightning skater to solve him.

Photo: nhl.com

When pressed on where this ranks among his career highlights, Shesterkin offered a lighthearted comparison to a previous memorable scrap. “I don’t know, I like to watch my fight,” he joked, referencing a previous altercation with goaltender Jacob Markstrom. He quickly added that scoring was preferable because “at least nobody is punching my face.” The milestone goal also sparked playful banter with fellow countryman and New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who was credited with a goal last season when an opponent inadvertently shot the puck into their own net. Drawing a distinction between the two plays, Shesterkin smiled and said, “This one counts.”

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