Heartbreak in New York: Mika Zibanejad's powerful words after Igor Shesterkin's terrifying injury

The New York Rangers will be without Igor Shesterkin for the rest of the season, and Mika Zibanejad spoke for a shaken locker room Saturday.

"It's our friend. It's our teammate, and when that happens, you think about them," Zibanejad said.

He didn't dress it up. "It's just a tough situation, obviously for us, but mostly for him."

Then came the line that frames everything next: "Obviously we've got (Dylan Garand) now."

So that's the plan. A 24-year-old with four appearances this season inherits the most important job in the building.

Shesterkin's last outing came Friday night in Washington. He stopped 13 of 14 shots and was left with no decision in a 3-1 loss.

Garand took the defeat after turning aside 11 of the 12 shots he saw. The Rangers scored once, and their road record slipped to 1-2-0.

Joonas Korpisalo injury leaves Rangers thin in the crease

Here's the part that should make Chris Drury nervous. Joonas Korpisalo sits on injured reserve with a lower-body issue.

The 32-year-old is expected out until at least Oct 19. That covers Vancouver, Tampa Bay, New Jersey and Columbus on the schedule.

Whoever slides into the backup chair for that stretch, the net belongs to Garand.

His early numbers are absurd. A .971 save percentage with one shutout is the kind of line goalies frame and hang in the basement.

But four games isn't a season. And October save percentages have a funny way of looking very different by Christmas.

So how much can Mike Sullivan really ask of a goalie carrying an $875,000 cap hit?

Think of it like a restaurant losing its head chef on a Friday and handing the kitchen to the line cook who nailed every special. Talent isn't the question. Volume is.

The money stings too. Shesterkin carries an $11,567,857 cap hit, the highest among goaltenders in the league, and none of it helps the Rangers again this season.

The skaters will have to carry more. New York has allowed just 11 goals through six games, and that structure is now Garand's best friend.

Up front, Alexis Lafreniere has four goals already. Zibanejad, the man doing the talking Saturday, has chipped in five points.

Home ice offers some cover. The Rangers are 3-0-0 at home and host Vancouver on Sunday before Tampa Bay visits Tuesday.

That Lightning game carries a little history. New York handled Tampa Bay 5-1 on Oct 1, back when Shesterkin was still the safety blanket.

Here's my problem. A 4-2-0 team with Cup-level money tied up in goal can't ride a hot four-game sample and hope. Drury needs a real veteran option, fast.

Zibanejad wants to keep building on what they've done at the start. Whether that start survives the next two weeks is now on Garand's shoulders.

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