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Rangers' Igor Shesterkin humorously responds to how he deals with Matthew Tkachuk's trash talk
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had a witty response when asked about how he handles the on-ice banter from Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk during their intense Eastern Conference Final series.
"I'm lucky because I don't speak English," Shesterkin quipped, ironically in English, as reported by NHL writer Dan Rosen on X (formerly Twitter).
Tkachuk, known for his agitating style of play and tendency to get under opponents' skin, has undoubtedly been chirping at Shesterkin throughout the hard-fought playoff battle. However, the Rangers netminder seems unfazed by the trash talk, humorously attributing his ability to tune it out to the language barrier.
Shesterkin's lighthearted comment came after a stellar performance in Game 3 on Sunday, where he made 33 saves to backstop the Rangers to a thrilling 5-4 overtime victory over the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
"Shesterkin had to make a few big saves for us. And then [came] a big goal for us in overtime to win it." Rangers' coach Peter Laviolette said post-game.
"They had some good chances," Alex Wennberg said. "You need a goalie who can help out and [Shesterkin] did more than once or twice. He did that, and it's a good feeling to have that goalie making a difference."
Fans react to Igor Shesterkin's humorous reply to Matthew Tkachuk's trash talk
Fans reacted to Igor Shesterkin's funny response to Matthew Tkachuk's antics with delight on social media. One fan referenced the Russian number, tweeting:
"I just learned the number 6 in Russian is SHEST. Take that for what you will lol. SHEST MORE GAMES SHESTY! He's the best!"
"Because he’s the goat," one fan said about Shesterkin's rising status as an elite NHL goalie.
A user could not believe Igor Shesterkin's reply to Matthew Tkachuk's trash talk:
"I sure hope he said that in English," one fan said.
Here are some other fan reactions:
"Taking a page out of Panarin’s book," one fan said.
"I love Igor’s sense of humor," another fan said.
"Doesn’t he mean he’s lucky? lol," a fan said.
Alexis Lafrenière and Barclay Goodrow each scored twice for New York, while Alex Wennberg netted the game-winner in the extra frame.
On the other side, Sam Reinhart scored two goals for Florida, with Aleksander Barkov and Gustav Forsling also finding the back of the net. Panthers’ goalie Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 18 saves in the losing effort.
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