Dylan Garand was expected to start in goal for the Rangers when they played at Detroit at 6:30 PM ET in Game 1 of 84, setting up the second night of a back-to-back to begin the season.
The goalie decision followed Shesterkin's start the previous night, when he handled the opener and got the first goalie goal in NYR history. With that game in the books, the Rangers were turning to Garand for the road matchup in Detroit.
Why the start mattered
This was not just a simple lineup note. The Rangers were working through the first back-to-back of the season, so the choice at goalie shaped how the club managed its netminders right away. If Garand got the nod in Detroit, it would also affect which goalie was lined up for the second game of the new season.
For the Rangers, the assignment pointed to a clear plan for handling the opening stretch of the schedule. Shesterkin had already taken the first game, and Garand was next in line for the Detroit trip.
As Lewis Prothero put it: "Good guys win. Bad guys lose. And as always,"
