from Larry Brooks of the New York Post,

If Cher could turn back time, if she could find the way, she would rewind the clock to one year ago so the Rangers could begin the playoffs with Igor Shesterkin at the top of his considerable game.

Lo and behold, it appears that the world-class entertainer has done just that. The process started five-plus weeks ago, but when the Blueshirts took out the Devils by an emphatic 5-1 score Tuesday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series, Shesterkin indeed was a facsimile of the netminder who won the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy and drove his team to the 2022 conference finals.

“It’s what we have come to expect,” Chris Kreider said after notching a pair of power play deflections to surpass Rod Gilbert as the Rangers’ all-time leading playoff goal-scorer with 36. “He’s our best player and not only does he make big saves, he makes them look easy.”

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Game highlights are below.