Steve Valiquette wasn’t thrilled with the perceived disrespect that Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had gotten on a first period breakaway during the Blueshirts’ 5-1 loss to the Devils.
New Jersey star Jack Hughes tried to use a one-handed breakaway move on Shesterkin, which the Rangers starter turned away with his left blocker, and Valiquette felt the move was an attempt to show up the goalie.
“I don’t like that because Hughes set out to embarrass Shesterkin there by slowing down and going to one hand,” Valiquette said.
The former Ranger turned NHL analyst later called the attempt “more Instagram hockey than intense hockey.”
Valiquette’s other issue appeared to be the lack of response from the Rangers, who have now dropped six of their last seven games following Monday’s loss.
Valiquette, who played parts of five seasons for the Rangers as well as a year on Long Island for the Islanders, questioned where the response was from the rest of the Blueshirts squad.
“That should send a shockwave to everybody on the bench. I know in my day, Colton Orr would have been hanging over the bench banging his stick saying, ’I’m coming after you because you tried to embarrass us,’” the analyst explained. “And that’s blatant disrespect and I’m sort of surprised I didn’t see a response from the team that way.”
He later added: “I think the Rangers should be upset about that.”
Hughes was asked about Valiquette’s comments after the game and the Devils star responded with a deadpanned answer.
“I don’t even know what that means. Like what does that even mean?” Hughes responded.
The Devils managed to sneak five goals by Shesterkin, which included two goals in the second period.
Hughes beat Shesterkin for his first goal of the night with 7:22 left in the middle frame when he buried a rebound from in front of the net.
His second goal of the period came with a little more than a minute left on the clock as he fired a wrist shot from the high slot that easily beat the Rangers netminder.
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