“Hovercraft” Movement Keys Shesterkin’s Success

Igor Shesterkin is following up his remarkable regular season with a memorable playoff run, putting the New York Rangers star in an even brighter spotlight, and giving us a chance to take a closer look at some of the unique skills that make him so good.

To assist us in the breakdown, InGoal Magazine turned to two people who know his game as well as anyone: Marko Torenius, who was one of two goaltending coaches to work with Shesterkin during his five seasons playing for SKA St. Petersburg in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League, and Stephen Valiquette, the former Rangers goalie turned TV analyst, who also shares some of the insights from his new broadcasting partner, future first ballot Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist.

For them, Shesterkin’s success starts with how well he moves on his skates, and how patiently he holds his edges and outwaits shooters, but it’s the way he gets around his crease from his knees that is opening eyes around the NHL and beyond. It might be an exaggeration to say he’s changing the way goalies move but he is at the very least raising that standard in the NHL.