NEW YORK (AP) — Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin was pulled in the second period against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night after giving up five goals on 12 shots.
The 28-year-old Russian, who entered the contest with a 6-2-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average, allowed a goal by Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin 26 seconds into the game.
He then gave up four goals in the second period — including three in a span of 2:12 span — as the Sabres took a 5-0 lead. Dylan Cozens, Tage Thompson, Jordan Greenway and Sam Lafferty scored in the middle period before Shesterkin was replaced by Jonathan Quick with 6:09 to go after Lafferty scored.
The Sabres went on to beat the Rangers 6-1.
“It really unraveled in the second,″ Rangers defenseman and captain Jacob Trouba said. “Our goalie has kind of kept us in this thing for the first 12 games. We’ve got to be better and give up less quality chances.”
The Rangers, who fell to 8-3-1 this season, have been winning largely because of Shesterkin's stellar play.
“This certainly was not our best,″ Rangers defenseman Adam Fox said. ”We left him out to dry. It’s not good enough.”
Shesterkin won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender in 2021-22 when he was 36-13-4 with a 2.07 goals against average. He won 37 games in 2022-23 and 36 last season as the Rangers finished with the NHL’s best record.
Shesterkin is in the final season of a four-year, $22.67 million contract and there has been talk of him wanting to be the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) and Adam Fox react as Buffalo Sabres' Jordan Greenway (12) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Damian Lillard scored 34 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 16 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks snapped a six-game skid, beating the Utah Jazz 123-100 on Thursday night.
Antetokounmpo was back in action after missing a 116-114 loss at Cleveland on Monday night because of a right adductor strain.
The Bucks hadn’t lost six straight games since March 2015. They avoided their first seven-game skid since March 2014, when they dropped eight in a row.
Jordan Clarkson had 18 off the bench to lead the Jazz.
Utah led 71-70 before the Bucks took command with a 17-1 run late in the third quarter. Lillard and Antetokounmpo combined to score Milwaukee’s first 15 points in that spurt.
Jazz: Utah entered the night ranked 27th in the NBA in 3-pointers per game (11.3) and 29th in 3-point percentage (30.3%), but the Jazz went 14 of 26 from beyond the arc in the first half to lead 61-57 at the break. They were 3 of 15 in the second half.
Bucks: Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers shuffled his lineup by giving Andre Jackson Jr. his first start of the season and moving Gary Trent Jr. to a bench role.
Utah led 61-60 when Antetokounmpo picked up his fourth foul with 10:26 left in the third quarter. Antetokounmpo never left the floor until 43.1 seconds remained in the period, but he didn't pick up another foul during that stretch and helped spark the 17-1 run that gave the Bucks some breathing room.
Antetokounmpo had six offensive rebounds to increase his career total to 1,469 and become Milwaukee's career leader. Marques Johnson, now part of the Bucks' television broadcast team, had 1,468 offensive rebounds with the Bucks from 1977-84.
The Jazz are at Sacramento on Saturday. The Bucks are at New York on Friday night.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Milwaukee Bucks' Bobby Portis is fouled by Utah Jazz's Johnny Juzang during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Andre Jackson Jr. tries to get past Utah Jazz's Cody Williams during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo gets past Utah Jazz's Cody Williams during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard shoots past Utah Jazz's Drew Eubanks during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo tries to get past Utah Jazz's John Collins during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo tries to get past Utah Jazz's John Collins during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Utah Jazz's Taylor Hendricks gets past Utah Jazz's Cody Williams during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
