Starting goalie Igor Shesterkin doesn’t quite appear ready to return for the Rangers, but veteran backup Jonathan Quick could be available for Sunday’s home game against the Blue Jackets.
Both netminders were unavailable for Thursday’s game against the Wild, but third-stringer Louie Domingue was summoned from Hartford and backboned the 4-1 victory for the Rangers’ 10th win in 13 games (10-2-1) under first-year coach Peter Laviolette.
Laviolette declined to reveal his goalie plans for Sunday’s game, but Quick at least returned fully to practice Saturday in Tarrytown after he was sidelined Thursday with an undisclosed upper-body injury.
“He’s out there, and he looks good to me. I think we’ll make a decision as we move forward here, just with everybody’s best interests in mind,” Laviolette said.
Shesterkin, who has missed the past three games with what the team has described only as minor soreness, was on the ice before the 45-minute session, which was “part of the plan,” according to Laviolette.
“He skated on his own, and [is] progressing,” Laviolette added. “Same thing. We’re gonna make all of our decisions with everybody’s best interests in mind.”
After Sunday’s contest, the Rangers have five consecutive days without a game until they play again Saturday on the road against the Devils.
Asked if he could give Domingue a second start to provide the others with additional time off, Laviolette said, “I don’t want to go down that road [announcing the starter], but I will agree that [Domingue] played a heck of a game. If he did have to play [Sunday], we would be confident.”
Domingue’s first win as a Ranger marked the first time since 1989-90 since the Blueshirts have had three goalies record wins in the opening 13 games of a season.
Second-line center Filip Chytil (lower-body injury) didn’t practice and remains day-to-day.
“He’s not out on the ice and so for me, there’s always like a natural progression,” Laviolette said. “When guys are away from the team and away from practice, [It’s not] until you start to see them getting back and active and on the ice. He’s yet to be on the ice.”
The Rangers recalled defenseman Connor Mackey from AHL Hartford.