New York's goaltending problem is worse. Shesterkin suffered a season-ending lower-body injury in a 3-1 loss at Washington, and Dylan Garand has been the starter since. As of October 26 he had started 8 straight games, going 4-4-1 with a 2.65 GAA and a .900 save percentage. That's respectable but not good enough to steal games. The Rangers also brought back 38-year-old James Reimer on a 1-year, $850,000 deal after he posted a 35-save shutout for Hartford. Who starts Sunday is the most important lineup question on either side.
The schedule matters too. Edmonton plays at the Islanders on October 31, then turns around for Sunday's 6:00 PM ET puck drop at Madison Square Garden. That means a back-to-back with a short trip in between, and the Oilers will have to decide whether Jarry starts both nights or whoever is behind him gets one. With Andersen and Levi out, the backup will be someone the Oilers did not plan on using this early in the season. The Islanders game will also change the form picture before this one starts, so the record above is a snapshot.
For the Rangers, the job is simple to say and hard to do: get to a tired Oilers team early, keep McDavid from controlling the game in transition, and hope their goalie makes the saves Shesterkin used to make. For Edmonton, the question is whether Jarry can hold up on the second night of a back-to-back against a team whose own goaltending is unsettled. A high-scoring game seems more likely than a goalie duel.