Even in the midst of a lost season for the Rangers and Devils, the Hudson River rivalry can still produce some intense moments, which was on display Tuesday night when Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin walloped Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom in the third period at the Garden.
Markstrom skated all the way down from the other end of the ice, without his helmet, ready to go against Shesterkin to the delight of the Manhattan crowd.
A referee briefly tried to dissuade the two, but quickly skated out of the way as the two traded blows, with Shesterkin getting a flurry of punches in at one point before Markstrom got pushed down to the ice.
The fight happened at the 9:05 mark of the third period with the Rangers ahead 4-1, which held as the final score.
Both goaltenders were assessed five-minute majors and penalties for leaving their creases.
The fisticuffs were the first that Shesterkin has been involved in during his NHL career.
Markstrom was last involved in a fight in 2015 while he was playing for the Utica Devils of the AHL.
Igor Shesterkin got into a heated scrap on Tuesday night. That fight involved Binghamton Senators goaltender Peter Mannino.
Tuesday’s game at MSG marked the final meeting between the Metropolitan Division rivals.
