Let’s remember some of the best moments Henrik Lundqvist had with the New York Rangers.
As I sat in the 200-level at Madison Square Garden on October 10, 2015, I watched New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist skate out from his crease to stop a puck dumped in by the Blue Jackets.
An unforeseen ricochet would lead to a phenomenal stick save and a collective gasp from the 18,000 in attendance. Everyone rose to their feet, roaring their approval through chants of “Hen-rik.”
That save was just one of the many memorable moments from Lundqvist’s 15-year tenure with the Rangers. During his time on Broadway, Lundqvist appeared in three Eastern Conference Finals, one Stanley Cup Final, and won one President’s Trophy.
His jersey will surely go into the rafters of MSG once he hangs up the skates, but for now, let’s take a look at the top five moments from his time with the Rangers.
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5: Lundqvist Stops Danny Briere
The 2012 Winter Classic was a magnificent game between two bitter rivals. The Philadelphia Flyers hosted the Rangers at Citizen Bank Park in front of almost 47,000 screaming fans. With the Rangers up 3-2 with just 19.6 seconds remaining in regulation, Ryan McDonagh got called for covering the puck in the crease, awarding the Flyers an opportunity to tie the score on a penalty shot.
Lundqvist had already stopped 33 shots in the game and now stared down Danny Briere as he skated in non-contested from center ice. A hush fell over the crowd as Briere slowly maneuvered in, quickly releasing a shot towards Lundqvist’s five-hole. But “The King” would be having none of that, denying the penalty shot and securing a Rangers’ victory.
Though the game held little weight, the magnitude of the stage, the outdoor setting, and the clutch save to seal the victory makes this save one of Lundqvist’s greatest Ranger moments.
4. Lundqvist Passes Dominic Hasek
On December 31, 2016, the Rangers would defeat the Colorado Avalanche by a final score of 6-2. Lundqvist would make 25 saves en-route to his 390th career win, a victory that would allow him to jump Dominic Hasek as the winningest European goaltender of all time.
Lundqvist, who now has 459 wins to his name, cemented himself as the most outstanding goalie to ever come from Europe and one of the greatest goalies to ever play in the NHL with this win. It was a meaningful moment for Lundqvist, who idolized Hasek, a matter he touches on in his postgame interview courtesy of NHL.com.
3. Franchise Leader in Regular Season and Postseason Wins
Before Lundqvist, Mike Richter was the face of Rangers’ goaltenders. He backstopped the team to the 1994 Stanley Cup, and at the time, was the franchise leader with 301 wins. On March 18, 2014, Lundqvist would win his 302nd game against the Ottaway Senators in an 8-4 victory. Lundqvist would stop 35 of 39 shots to jump Richter and solidify himself as the most excellent Rangers’ netminder ever.
Lundqvist’s winning ways were not limited to just the regular season, as he is the franchise leader in postseason wins as well with 61. His 42nd career postseason victory came during a 1-0 win against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
#NYR @HLundqvist30 set another franchise record last night with his 42nd #NYRPlayoffs win!! http://t.co/zpqsESDKIw pic.twitter.com/oi5N1MfaYN
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 30, 2014
In 2014, Lundqvist became the winningest goalie ever to don the Blueshirt, setting the regular season and playoff wins mark. His 1-0 shutout victory in Game 6 leads us to moment number two on the countdown.
2. Lundqvist Signature Save: ECF Game 6
With the Rangers up 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Canadiens, fans packed into MSG to watch the Rangers clinch their first Stanley Cup appearance in 20 years. In a scoreless game late in period two, Lundqvist would make an acrobatic blocker save on a redirected pass from Thomas Vanek.
Just over two minutes would elapse before Dominic Moore would score the game’s lone goal, which was scored on the back of the momentum created by Lundqvist. The save may not be his best, but it certainly is his most memorable. Not only did it keep Montreal off the board at that moment, but it helped Lundqvist reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his career.
He went on to make 18-saves in the game and one heck of a celebration when the final buzzer sounded.
1. Lundqvist Gets The Vezina
Despite Lundqvist’s dominance since he entered the NHL in 2005, he still had not won a Vezina Trophy when the 2011-12 season began. He would start 62 games that season, posting a 39-18-5 record, with a 1.97 GAA, .930 SV%, and eight shutouts. When the dust had finally settled on that campaign, the NHL hosted its annual awards ceremony. Lundqvist, who was also a Hart Trophy nominee, won his first and only Vezina Trophy.
Rangers’ fans could officially proclaim Lundqvist as the best goaltender in the NHL, and all was good in New York. Lundqvist would never win the award again, despite finishing in the top-6 in voting for 10-straight seasons.
None of that mattered when he walked across the stage in 2012 to accept his award, as he had already gone from an unknown seventh-round selection to the premier netminder in the NHL.
End of An Era
Lundqvist leaves the Rangers as the greatest goaltender in franchise history and possibly the greatest player as well. His career is not over yet, and as all Rangers’ fans can attest, if he were to his the cup in a different uniform, there would be nothing but joyous support from New York.
There are superstars, and then there are legends. Lundqvist is a legend, and his presence in goal for the Rangers will be greatly missed.
Hearing “And in goal, number 30, Henrik Lundqvist” at Madison Square Garden before the opening faceoff had become a norm for fans. But regardless of whether he has seven letters printed diagonally across his chest, Rangers fans will always be cheering for Lundqvist.