Igor Shesterkin makes solid return for Rangers after four-game IR stint

Igor Shesterkin returned from injured reserve after missing four games with an upper-body injury and gave the Rangers a solid performance in a 3-2 overtime win over the Devils on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.Shesterkin made 21 saves — including 11 in the first period — and allowed the Rangers’ offense enough time to win the game in OT.“[Shesterkin] was back and played well,” head coach Peter Laviolette said.“I thought the guys in front of him played really well, also.”The goalie hadn’t played since Dec.

30, when he suffered the injury against the Panthers.The Rangers, then in the midst of a four-game losing streak, won two of the four contests in Shesterkin’s absence but will need their star goaltender to make something of their season.They also need to get better results when he’s on the ice, which they did Thursday.He entered 11-15-1 with a 3.10 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in 27 games this season.He was replaced by backup Jonathan Quick for three games, as well as one by Louis Domingue, who was returned to Hartford to make room for Shesterkin.The injury to Shesterkin came less than a month after he signed an eight-year, $92 million extension with the Rangers to become the highest-paid goaltender in NHL history.“It was nice to see him again,” Artemi Panarin said.“It gave us confidence.”Matt Rempe returned from his eight-game suspension that was levied by the NHL after his crushing hit on Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen on Dec.

20.Rempe had 7:47 minutes of ice time.Laviolette called them “good minutes.He tried to play physical.”It’s going to be a challenge for Rempe, who has been suspended twice by the league.His return also came against a Devils team with whom Rempe has significant history.He earned his first suspension last season with a high elbow on Jonas Siegenthaler and was also ejected from a game versus New Jersey in April when he helped start a brawl during the opening faceoff of a game at MSG.Thur...