G23 New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers: Kick 'em while they're down

The Rangers have dropped seven of their last 11 games and posted mediocre numbers in that span.

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A few notes to get you set for the first Devils vs Rangers game of the season:

The great equalizer

The New York Rangers own a very pedestrian record thus far. While they’re over NHL .500, they have won only 10 of 22 games. They are losing a lot of games.

New York absolutely has its share of flaws but, make no mistake, they are still very dangerous when Igor Shesterkin is between the pipes.

While Shesterkin has predictably regressed this season, his numbers are still really strong. He owns a .914 save percentage, which is well above league average, and has stopped six goals above expectation.

Unsurprisingly, those numbers have led to a lot of success. Shesterkin is the owner of every Rangers win and has helped them get at least a point in 13 of 16 games.

Compare that to Jaroslav Halak. The veteran backup owns a putrid .881 save percentage and has lost every start he has made. Even being spoonfed easier games against the likes of Anaheim, Columbus and Detroit hasn’t been enough to get a result.

As many issues as the Rangers have, their biggest might be that Igor Shesterkin can’t start every game. He has a way of masking a lot of their problems.

He will need to do just that for the Rangers to have a shot in this game as the Devils are unforgiving to opposing goaltenders. On the year, they have netted 3.7 goals per game and generated expected goals at a higher clip than all but the high-powered Florida Panthers.

They are going to generate more than their share of good looks against this vulnerable Rangers team. We’ll see if Shesterkin can hold up.

A sleeping giant