Alexandar Georgiev Clears COVID-19 Protocol
The Rangers have shuffled their backup goaltender situation with Georgiev returning to the team.
Today, the New York Rangers announced that goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has cleared COVID-19 protocol and can rejoin the team. Keith Kinkaid, who had been dressing as the team’s backup with Igor Shesterkin getting the starts, has been assigned to the team’s taxi squad, and Adam Huska has been sent back down to the AHL to play with the Hartford Wolf Pack.
UPDATE: Alexandar Georgiev has cleared Covid protocol. Keith Kinkaid has been assigned to the taxi squad and Adam Huska has been assigned to @WolfPackAHL.
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) January 1, 2022
Georgiev has a .902 save percentage in 11 starts this season. He’s minded the Rangers’ net for 668:56 and has a record of 5-3-2. His season started slowly when Shesterkin was getting the lion’s share of the starts, but he began to find a rhythm in early-to-mid December while Shesterkin was sidelined with a lower body-injury. From Dec. 4 through Dec. 17, Georgiev made six starts and posted a .931 save percentage and a GSAA (goals saved above average) of 3.00, per Natural Stat Trick. The Rangers went 3-2-1 in those games. Georgiev has not played since Dec. 17 — a byproduct of the league-wide COVID-19 issues that put much of the schedule on hold over the past couple of weeks, and of course Georgiev himself being in protocol.
Thankfully, the Rangers’ backup netminder is apparently healthy and ready to go. The Blueshirts, in a relative sense, have been fortunate compared to many other teams in the league, as only a handful of players have had to enter the COVID-19 protocol. Patrik Nemeth was previously in protocol but cleared on Dec. 27. Still in the protocol are Jarred Tinordi and lineup regulars Kevin Rooney and Ryan Lindgren. Let’s wish them all a speedy return to health and to the lineup.
