That didn’t work out exactly as Keith Kinkaid expected, but the goalkeeper played well enough on Tuesday’s empty net with a 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh in his first NHL start in 465 days, to win another. quite quickly.
In fact, assuming Igor Shesterkin isn’t fully recovered from the strain he suffered last Thursday in New Jersey, it’s possible that Kinkaid could get a call about wrestler Alex Georgiev for the second time in a row when the Blueshirts move to Boston for the first time. a set of two games on Thursday.
“I’ve been waiting for a break,” Kinkaid said before his first start since Nov. 30, 2019 as a member of the Canadians. “You don’t like to see how it happened, but I plan to take absolute control of this opportunity and prove I belong in this league.”
The 31-year-old netminder from Farmingville, Suffolk County, was economical, prepared and sharp throughout the match, especially at the start of the match when his team was under constant pressure. The game turned completely in the third period, the Rangers shot the Penguins 15-1 in the final 20 minutes as they stormed Tristan Jarry’s Bastille, with the only Pittsburgh shooting the empty net from Sidney Crosby’s game in the 19:27.
“He played solid,” David Quinn said of Kinkaid. “I thought he made some early savings that allowed us to withstand the storm. I thought we were swept away pretty early in the game and I thought we were lucky to get out of that first period 1-1, when they were above us for an extended period of time. “
A year after dealing with the three-carousel carousel in which a teammate named Henrik Lundqvist finally found himself as the weird man out of rotation, Quinn has at least one short-term decision. If it’s not Shesterkin, does the coach allow Georgiev to sit back and do great workouts with goalkeeping coach Benoit Allaire?
Georgiev is 4-3-2 with a savings rate that has fallen below .900 to .897 and a GAA that has risen to 3.03. According to Naturalstattrick.com, it ranks 31st in GSAA (goals saved above average) among the 44 goalkeepers who have played at least 500 minutes at -2.66 and have a high quality savings percentage of 0.707. Meanwhile, Shesterkin ranks sixth in GSAA with 5.64 and the 10th highest quality savings percentage at 0.838.
So no, there is no goal controversy here, just wondering if Kinkaid will get another shot with Georgiev out of his game.
Kinkaid, who shares a birthday with George Steinbrenner and Uncle Sam, made 132 outings with the Devils during the five-year stretch between 2014-15 and 2018-19 while compiling an overall record of 64-55-17 with a percentage savings of .906 and 2.90 GAA. He used an old-school, active, athletic approach, two-pad balls and all that.
But the netminder game went sideways after that, going 15-18-6 / .891 / 3.36 the following year while relaxing with the appearance of Mackenzie Blackwood. Kinkaid spent much of last season at the AHL after signing in the summer of 2019 as a free agent with Montreal, for whom he started five times in October and November. After signing a two-year deal with the Rangers in October, he returned to school with Allaire.
“It’s an incredible opportunity. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity and I feel really prepared, ”said Kinkaid, who has spent most of the year on the taxi staff. “I’ve learned a lot in recent years and Benny has helped me a lot on the road so far.
“I don’t think I’ve had too many adversities in my career so far [2019-20], we had reached the playoffs with the Devils, and I guess you really learn more about yourself and, you know, the ups and downs of the league at that top level all the time. I think Benny has definitely helped me in terms of confidence and coaching.
Kinkaid was strong in the first hour, which allowed his team to gain both their balance and advantage at 9:16 of the first period, when Jack Johnson’s driving from the left point included defender John Marino. But that was essentially the sum and bottom of the foul during the first 40 minutes, Pittsburgh was able to control possession and the neutral zone by gaining a 3-1 lead in the third period with goals at the end of the first and second plus an abbreviated goal before the second.
The Blueshirts, who had complete control of the third period, reduced the margin to 3-2 in the game at 3:18 when Ryan Strome’s feeding attempt for Chris Kreider left out – yes – Marino, but Jarry prevented the team from reaching the equalizer, stoning Pavel Buchnevich on the right post with 2:35 left.
For the fifth time in six games against the Penguins (1-3-2), the Rangers finished poorly. Now to the Bruins, against whom the Blueshirts have won one of four (1-2-1) and with the coach in front of a goal decision.