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Dylan Garand’s life has changed in a flash, going from waivers to becoming the No. 1 goaltender for the Rangers in less than two weeks.
That’s his reality, at least until veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo returns from injured reserve in the wake of Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending lower-body injury.
“Obviously, I think it’s been 11 days — pretty crazy,” the 24-year-old Garand said after practice Saturday. “Sometimes, it’s part of the job. For us as a team, it sucks. You never want to see guys get injured, especially your best player in Igor. He means a lot to the guys in this room, and me personally. At the same time, it’s next man up. That’s kind of my approach here.
“I’m excited for the opportunity, going to put my heart and soul on the line for these guys and this city every night. Just try to help the team win.”
Sunday against the Canucks will mark just the fifth NHL start of his young career.
The Rangers believe he is up to the task. They have no choice. Head coach Mike Sullivan made it seem unlikely the Rangers will trade for a proven netminder.
Garand was drafted by the Rangers in the fourth round in 2020. He was part of the last round of training camp cuts and was waived Sept. 27.
The Rangers brought him up Oct. 1, when Korpisalo was placed on injured reserve. Korpisalo is expected to miss another month.
In three starts last season, Garand posted a 2-0-1 record and a .948 save percentage. He notched a shutout in a win over the Red Wings in Detroit this year, and performed well in place of Shesterkin in the loss to the Capitals on Friday night.
“Dylan is a great kid. He’s another fierce competitor, he loves hockey, and he has aspirations to play in the NHL,” Sullivan said. “He’s a good goalie. Every time we’ve put him in the net, certainly since I’ve been here, he’s made timely saves. He’s given our team a chance to win each and every time he’s been in the net. We think he’s very capable, and he’s going to get an opportunity here.”
Sullivan and Rangers alternate captains Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad spoke about needing to rally around Garand and make his job as easy as it can be. He was thrilled to hear about that support.
“That’s pretty cool,” he said. “I really love this group, it’s so fun to be around. For them to say kind words about me, makes me feel good for sure, and makes me want to battle for them even more.”
