Henrik Lundqvist remains the heart and soul of the New York Rangers
Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has given the New York Rangers everything he has. This hasn’t changed even during a rebuild.
The New York Rangers announced back in February that they were starting a much-needed rebuild. They’ve iced a relatively inexperienced team this season, with guys like Chris Kreider, Neal Pionk, Kevin Hayes, Mika Zibanejad, and Brady Skjei leading the team. No one would have blamed franchise goaltender Henrik Lundqvist if he wanted no part of a rebuild at the age of 36.
Nevertheless, Lundqvist didn’t request a trade. In fact, he has remained the face of the Rangers during their rebuild. And, as is tradition, Lundqvist has been arguably the most important player on the team.
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At five-on-five this season, his GSAA of 6.23 ranks ninth among goaltenders with at least 1,000 minutes played, according to Corsica. Though his shorthanded numbers are declining, that’s to be expected for someone who is 36 and has played in 830 NHL games (958 if you include the playoffs).
Goaltenders are often leaders on their team, largely because they’re the only players in a position to cover up their team’s flaws. Lundqvist is no different. The Rangers defense has often times been porous around him. And yet, Lundqvist finds ways to keep his team in games.
He’s also not afraid to be vocal. Take Sunday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights, for example. The Rangers weren’t competing nearly hard enough. Lundqvist went to his bench and gave what can be assumed to be a very passionate speech.
In the end, the Rangers got a point on Sunday they didn’t deserve by losing 4-3 in overtime. They allowed 82 shot attempts during all situations while picking up merely 52. At even strength, it was 72 to 38. On paper, Lundqvist had a good game, stopping 37 of the 41 shots he saw. However, considering how many of those shots were dangerous ones, he had a great game.
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Lundqvist has been a constant for the Rangers. A reason for fans to remain optimistic about the future. Do the Rangers deserve Lundqvist? Probably not. But that’s what makes his commitment to the Rangers even more impressive.