A 2006 Torino Olympic Gold medal, a Vezina Trophy, nearly every major New York Rangers goaltender record, and an Eastern Conference Championship.
The only thing that Henrik Lundqvist, a 7th round draft pick in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, hasn’t accomplished in his illustrious career in New York is winning a Stanley Cup.
This year, he came within three wins, before the Los Angeles Kings scored in double overtime to break the Swede’s heart, along with the hearts of all within the Rangers organization and their fans.
It was yet another postseason of magic for the man they call, “The King” as he led the Blueshirts to an improbable deep run all the way into June.
For the second time in three years, the Rangers found their way into the Eastern Conference finals, and this year took it one step further, downing the Montreal Canadiens in six games to clinch the Eastern Conference title and advance to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since Mike Richter minded the net for the Blueshirts during the historic run in 1994.
Taking his Throne
Lundqvist once again shined bright for New York on the biggest stage posting a .927 Save % along with a 2.14 GAA, leading the way for Blueshirts success.
In fact, when the Rangers were in desperation mode, facing elimination, he was at his very best.
Lundqvist has almost single kept New York alive on numerous occasions over the last few years. Spanning back until 2012, the Rangers were 11-2 in their last 13 elimination games, with Lundqvist posting a .959 save % in that stretch.
In 2014, Lundqvist was 5-0 in do-or-die contests – including a 3-game winning streak to erase a 3-1 deficit and advance against the Pittsburgh Penguins – and he only allowed a maximum of one goal in each of those games, before the eventual double overtime dagger ended the Rangers season and won Los Angeles the Stanley Cup in Game 6 of the SCF.
Proving the Jesters Wrong
One of the major knocks against Henrik in the past has been his tendency to come up big during the regular season, but somehow fade in the big games when it really counts.
For all of the accolades and praise that The King has gotten in his career, he had never been able to push the Blueshirts over the hump, and into the biggest stage of the Cup Final. Many of his critics saw this as a major dark spot on an otherwise impeccable building legacy.
This season, it started out as difficult as ever for Lundqvist who looked unusual ordinary at best during the initial 9-game road trip that started off the campaign.
With the new coaching staff, style of play, and smaller pads, the Rangers defense looked out of sorts to start the season, and Lundqvist had a difficult time adjusting to the changes behind them.
But the Swede, who has become known as one of the best goaltenders in the world, challenged himself during one of the toughest stretches of his career to quickly turn his fortunes around and put the team on a winning path.
He did just that, and in the process helped the Rangers clinch the 2nd seed in the newly-formed Metropolitan Division with a stellar second half following the Sochi Olympic Games.
Then on to the playoffs, where Lundqvist seemingly took his game to another level, one that none of us had ever seen before, the fans who have been spoiled over the year with his spectacular play.
While the Rangers took seven games to get past the Flyers, and seemed dead in the water against the Penguins after a Game 4 loss at Madison Square Garden, Henrik Lundqvist refused to be denied.
He backstopped the Rangers back to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in the last three years, and his play elevated even more.
With the exception of Game 5 in Montreal, Lundqvist was the MVP of the series for either team. He helped New York to jump out to a 3-1 lead of their own, and made some spectacular saves to shift the momentum the Rangers way.
After a minor stumble in the “House of Horrors” that he had rid of the ghosts in Games 1 & 2 at the Bell Centre, it was back home to Midtown Manhattan with a chance to close out the series and extend the Rangers’ run further than it had been ventured in 20 years.
With the biggest of opportunities on the line, Lundqvist came out with an almost inhuman focus level and stifled the Habs attack with unbelievable saves such as this one on Thomas Vanek that is sure to be talked about for a very long time:
He shut down Montreal’s hopes of survival and shutout the Atlantic Division postseason champs to clinch his first berth into the final round and lifted the city into a frenzy, with a chance to play for the Stanley Cup on the line.
For any who still doubted him, he quickly destroyed that doubt and propelled himself to a spot many deemed impossible before.
The Final Countdown
Once in the Cup Final, Lundqvist continued to play well, but a two tough overtime losses in Los Angeles threatened to end his dream before it even began. Back at home, the team laid an egg as Jonathan Quick stole the show in net, shutting out the Rangers and putting them on the brink.
At this point, down 3-0 in the series and seemingly out of it, the critics once again questioning his ability to come up big when it really counts.
But again, Lundqvist had an answer, as in Game 4 he refused to let the Kings hoist the Cup in his castle and put together an impressive performance once again to keep the Rangers’ hopes alive with a 40+ save performance to send it back to Los Angeles.
With this game, Lundqvist showed that he can do it on the biggest stage, and at the largest level. He became the first goalie since saves began being recorded as a stat to post a 40+ save performance in a regulation elimination win in the Stanley Cup Final.
While New York would go on to lose another heartbreaking double overtime game on the road in Game 5 to end the exciting and improbable run to the Cup Final, Lundqvist still played stellar and did everything he could to bring the series back to the Big Apple.
Alec Martinez’s Cup-clinching goal, while extremely difficult to swallow, was one that no goaltender could have had a chance to stop, not even Lundqvist who stretched as far as he could to try to get a piece of the unfortunate rebound before watching it slip away.
The Rangers played well, Lundqvist individually played better, but the magic just ran out on this storybook postseason.
The Jewelry Doesn’t Make the Man
The season, and Henrik’s career so far was summed up by his reaction after that goal:
As Lundqvist lay there, face down on the ice with black and white jerseys celebrating the pinnacle of hockey around him, the image of absolute heartbreak and exhaustion was on display.
Throughout his career, Henrik has given everything to this game and to the Rangers. He has lifted the team beyond all expectations and at times, been the only thing that has kept the team pressing on.
After the unbelievable postseason run, Lundqvist just had nothing left. No energy and no answers. This run, much like the rest of his career has seen The King leave everything he has out on the ice, yet with no cup-shaped hardware to show for it.
Yet while the realization of yet another opportunity lost began to sink in, rendering him inconsolable to his teammates who attempted to lift him up both figuratively and literally, his true mentality showed. To Lundqvist, it isn’t enough to get there, it’s only enough to win.
While this magical run has given Rangers fans something to be proud of after the team was in jeopardy of missing the playoffs as late as early January, only one thing matters to Henrik, bringing a Stanley Cup back to New York.
While they came up just short, Lundqvist has nothing to hang his head about, as he led the franchise to it’s most exciting season since they won it all two decades ago. However, knowing Lundqvist, he is still replaying that final goal in his head over and over again, wondering what he could have done differently to stop it from going in.
He said that coming into the postseason, he wanted to leave it all out on the ice and end the season with no regrets. While the result wasn’t ultimately what he hoped, that’s exactly what the veteran netminder did.
This loss will hurt him for quite some time, but as we’ve seen from him in times where his back is against the wall, this missed opportunity should only cause him to come back next season even more focused and more motivated than ever to get back to that spot, only this time, come out of it with a championship to his name.
So while he may not have any rings on his fingers, and while his name still may be absent from hockey’s hockey grail, Henrik Lundqvist has proven worthy of the term “elite.” Although player’s careers are often determined by the championships they’ve won, Lundqvist has accomplished enough in his time in New York to be considered one of the greatest to ever play the game.
The only thing that is missing from his prestigious legacy is that elusive Stanley Cup. However, if Lundqvist continues to push himself to reach other heights, and the team continues to build a solid team around him, then it doesn’t appear that there will be any doubt that he will eventually reach the goal he set out for himself nine years ago as a lowly 7th Round draft pick of the New York Rangers.
The Rangers will get back to the biggest stage at some point with #30 between the pipes, and when all is said and done, Lundqvist’s critics won’t have anything to criticize anymore.
As Lundqvist lay there, face down on the ice with black and white jerseys celebrating the pinnacle of hockey around him, the image of absolute heartbreak and exhaustion was on display.
Throughout his career, Henrik has given everything to this game and to the Rangers. He has lifted the team beyond all expectations and at times, been the only thing that has kept the team pressing on.
After the unbelievable postseason run, Lundqvist just had nothing left. No energy and no answers. This run, much like the rest of his career has seen The King leave everything he has out on the ice, yet with no cup-shaped hardware to show for it.
Yet while the realization of yet another opportunity lost began to sink in, rendering him inconsolable to his teammates who attempted to lift him up both figuratively and literally, his true mentality showed. To Lundqvist, it isn’t enough to get there, it’s only enough to win.
While this magical run has given Rangers fans something to be proud of after the team was in jeopardy of missing the playoffs as late as early January, only one thing matters to Henrik, bringing a Stanley Cup back to New York.
While they came up just short, Lundqvist has nothing to hang his head about, as he led the franchise to it’s most exciting season since they won it all two decades ago. However, knowing Lundqvist, he is still replaying that final goal in his head over and over again, wondering what he could have done differently to stop it from going in.
He said that coming into the postseason, he wanted to leave it all out on the ice and end the season with no regrets. While the result wasn’t ultimately what he hoped, that’s exactly what the veteran netminder did.
This loss will hurt him for quite some time, but as we’ve seen from him in times where his back is against the wall, this missed opportunity should only cause him to come back next season even more focused and more motivated than ever to get back to that spot, only this time, come out of it with a championship to his name.
So while he may not have any rings on his fingers, and while his name still may be absent from hockey’s hockey grail, Henrik Lundqvist has proven worthy of the term “elite.” Although player’s careers are often determined by the championships they’ve won, Lundqvist has accomplished enough in his time in New York to be considered one of the greatest to ever play the game.
The only thing that is missing from his prestigious legacy is that elusive Stanley Cup. However, if Lundqvist continues to push himself to reach other heights, and the team continues to build a solid team around him, then it doesn’t appear that there will be any doubt that he will eventually reach the goal he set out for himself nine years ago as a lowly 7th Round draft pick of the New York Rangers.
The Rangers will get back to the biggest stage at some point with #30 between the pipes, and when all is said and done, Lundqvist’s critics won’t have anything to criticize anymore.
