As Igor Shesterkin ascends as New York’s new franchise goalie, Bruins hoping Jeremy Swayman forges similar path

NEW YORK — As Tuesday’s heavyweight bout between Igor Shesterkin and Jeremy Swayman carried over into its final rounds, the Madison Square Garden organist went to work. 

The soundscape of the cutthroat concrete jungle that is the New York sporting scene is permeated by old records from Sinatra or cuts from Jay-Z’s Black Album. Anyone who’s caught a game at Yankee Stadium or MSG can certainly attest to such a soundtrack.

But in a venue that once saw Rocky Marciano triumph over Joe Lewis — and paid witness to two of the three pitched showdowns between Ali/Frazier — the soundwaves emanating from the speakers during this latest duel at the Garden sure fit the scene for these modern times.

As the men between the pipes for both the Bruins and Blueshirts swatted pucks aside and stymied Grade-A look after Grade-A look, the ominous piano tones from HBO’s Succession filled the bowl of Madison Square Garden.

A fitting theme, no doubt. 

No, both Swayman and Shesterkin aren’t planning on toppling an advertising conglomerate any time soon. (At least we don’t think.)

But succession sure seems to be an apt term to describe both young netminders and their respective positions within their Original Six franchises — each of which has been anchored by some top-flight netminders over the years.

Granted, Shesterkin, 26, is a bit further up the food chain these days. For as much as New Yorkers have mourned over the days in which Henrik Lundqvist anchored the Rangers’ net, it looks as though the franchise is in good hands with Shesterkin in place. 

Entering Tuesday’s showdown with Boston, Shesterkin’s baseline numbers already gave the Moscow native a pretty compelling case for the Vezina Trophy (22-5-2, .937 save percentage). A look at the underlying numbers sure makes him look like a shoo-in — with the 2016 fourth-round pick stopping closing to 29 goals above his expected rate already this season.  

Of course, Bruins fans didn’t need to comb over a chart or graphic on Tuesday to gather evidence of just how much of a menace the Russian netminder can be. After all, the Rangers goalie turned aside 31 of 32 shots, including a number of Grade-A looks in overtime, to lift New York past Boston in a shootout thriller.

Fair to say, the Rangers don’t have to fret all that much about the future of their net in the post-Lundqvist era. 

The Bruins don’t necessarily have that same luxury, at least not yet. 

But a night like Tuesday should offer plenty of hope for Boston as it looks to fill the void in net in wake of Tuukka Rask's retirement. 

Yes, Shesterkin might be solidifying his claim as New York’s top netminder. But on a night where the Rangers goalie was nearly unbeatable in net, Swayman matched him blow for blow — or save for save, that is. 

And even though the 23-year-old rookie from Alaska may not boast the same flashy numbers that Shesterkin currently flaunts, the Bruins are holding out hope that Swayman can follow a similar path as the Rangers netminder in due time. 

"Good for him and his confidence,” Bruce Cassidy said of Swayman after the youngster’s 33-save performance in Tuesday’s shootout loss. “Shesterkin's a young guy that's battled through now for a few years and now certainly looks like he's established himself. We don't see him that often. But those numbers certainly back it up. Obviously, our hope is to get Sway at that level at some point and at a consistent level and tonight he certainly helped himself with that.”

In a game that featured just two tallies spread across over 65 minutes of ice time — coupled with nine arduous shootout rounds — a packed MSG crowd got their money's worth thanks to the electrifying display put forth in net. Of the 23 high-danger scoring chances that both the Rangers and Bruins generated, 21 of them were turned aside.

By the time Tuesday’s game carried over into overtime, what was a by-the-books contest planted in the dog days of February looked a whole lot more like a WCW spectacle.

As the Garden roared in approval as Shesterkin neutralized a 2-on-1 OT chance from Taylor Hall, Swayman answered just minutes later with a breakaway stop against Artemi Panarin — with the emotions of the crowd ping-ponging with each vulcanized disc that was corralled.

By the time Shesterkin returned from the locker room after getting pulled by a concussion spotter in the final minute of OT, the only thing that was missing was the panache of a wrestler’s intro song — with roars of “IG-OR, IG-ORRRR” filling the stadium. 

Swayman might have been forced to play heel in enemy territory, but the young netminder didn’t blink in his head-to-head matchup with one of hockey’s best. Two points might still be two points, but given that one of the few faults in Swayman’s play this season has been his struggles against teams currently in playoff positioning (1-6-1 entering Tuesday), putting together such a performance against a talented New York team sure seems like a step in the right direction.

“Just his kind of demeanor, all the time. It's kind of relaxing for us in a way,” Charlie Coyle said of Swayman’s poise in net. “It makes us feel confident, because his confidence, his quiet confidence, it gives us something. Teah, he hasn't been here long, but he kind of plays like he has, which is a great thing. It makes us, playing in front of him, we can just play."

It’s often a perilous task to try and chart out a goalie’s career, let alone a season. As the Bruins can certainly attest to this past week, there’s a whole lot that can change in a short span of time in this sport. 

But if Tuesday’s showdown was any indication, it sure seems like both Original Six franchises are set up for a long, long time in net.

And for Swayman, he can’t wait for the rematch with No. 31. 

“It was awesome. It's a huge rivalry,” Swayman said of playing at Madison Square Garden. “My dad grew up in Brooklyn, so it's a pretty cool being in the Garden for the first time, knowing he was here when he was younger and definitely a sentimental game for me. But coming out with one point isn't as satisfying.

"Can't wait to come back and get two."