Shesterkin makes 27 saves, Rangers top Blue Jackets in double shutout

NEW YORK -- Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves and stopped all three shooters in the shootout to lift the New York Rangers to a 1-0 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

"We played awesome," Shesterkin said about the Rangers defensive effort.

It's Shesterkin's first shutout since opening night, Oct. 9. He has allowed nine goals in five games since returning from an upper-body injury that kept him out of the lineup for four games.

He stopped Kent Johnson, Adam Fantilli and Kirill Marchenko in the shootout.

Vincent Trocheck scored the lone goal in the shootout, in the second round.

The Rangers (22-20-3) have won two games in a row, four of five and have points in seven straight (5-0-2).

"Goaltending is huge," Rangers coach Peter Laviolette said. "From a 5-on-5 standpoint, a penalty kill standpoint, from the confidence of your team, you play a game when you can get 0-0 to overtime you know he's done his job. He's played really well for us, and we need that. We're in a position where we've got to win games, win points. He had to be sharp with his game tonight because we weren't able to get the run support he needed to get out ahead."

Daniil Tarasov made 26 saves, including stopping Mika Zibanejad twice on breakaways in overtime, at 1:25 and again with 17 seconds left, but the Blue Jackets (22-17-4) lost for the first time since Jan. 2, ending their six-game winning streak.

"It was a great hockey game," Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. "Both teams played hard. It might not have been exciting as far as scoring goals, but the effort was there by both teams, the desperation was there by both teams, the patience. I really liked how our hockey club stayed within ourselves. We didn't panic, didn't open it up. We gave up some stuff, but we got some stuff as well. Just comes down to a shootout and they find one, we don't."

Laviolette said the Rangers didn't like how they played in the first period, when they were outshot 15-4.

They outshot the Blue Jackets 22-12 the rest of the game.

"The first period for me was a little bit off, probably gave up eight or nine chances," Laviolette said, "and then maybe didn't give up eight or nine for the rest of the game."

There were chances, though, but neither team could capitalize despite a combined 35 shots on goal (20-15 Blue Jackets) through the first two periods. They combined for only 10 shots on goal in the third period (6-4 New York).

Mikael Pyyhtia had a would-be scoring chance on a semi breakaway with a minute remaining in the second period taken away from him thanks to a strong defensive play by Reilly Smith, who stripped the puck away from the Blue Jackets forward on a backcheck.

Smith set up Adam Fox for a tip-in attempt as the Rangers defenseman came across the crease, but Tarasov held his ground for the save and cover at 14:25 of the second.

Earlier in the second period, K'Andre Miller had an open look from the slot off a rebound of Zibanejad's shot, but Tarasov moved across in time to make the save at 4:19.

In the first period, Shesterkin went post to post to stop Cole Sillinger on a redirect with his right pad at 4:40.

Chris Kreider deflected Fox's wrist shot off the right post during a Rangers power play at 11:14.

"They've got skilled guys that are going to get chances, but after the first 10 [minutes] we settled in, had some looks ourselves," Fox said. "Sometimes a boring game instead of a track meet is good. We did a good job of that today."

Credit Tarasov's saves on Zibanejad's breakaways in overtime for the game getting to a shootout.

"He made some great saves on the breakaways that we gave up, that we've got to obviously look after a little bit," Evason said. "He played a strong game, and I think everybody was committed in front of him as well."

But when it got to the shootout, Shesterkin remained on point. Trocheck, though, said Tarasov gave him blocker side so he took it and scored in the second round of the shootout.

"I was just going down to see what I can do," Trocheck said.

Shesterkin stopped Fantilli after Trocheck scored and his save on Marchenko in the bottom of the third round sealed the win for New York.

"I just saw he did a step right and I know righty players like to do high glove," Shesterkin said, "but the puck a little bit jumped in front of his stick, and I took the chance."

NOTES: Shesterkin's shutout was the 17th of his career. He passed John Vanbiesbrouck (16) to move into ninth place all-time among Rangers goalies.