New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist had a rough year. Heading into the post-season, Lundqvist’s stats were his worst ever, and the Rangers were looking like another first round exit was in store for them.
In April, at the conclusion of the season, one could glance at Lundqvist’s stats and could see just how rough things were. Lundqvist played 57 games, starting 55. He went 31-20-4 with a 2.74 goals average against, a .910 save percentage and only two shutouts. His goals against and save percentage numbers were the worst his career. His two shutouts were tied for his least, dating back to his rookie season (2005-06), as well as the lockout shortened 2012-13 season. Things weren’t looking so bright for “King Henrik”. He is 35 after all.
Henrik Lundqvist is Still “The King”
Enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs; the first wild card ranked New York Rangers were to take on the #1 Atlantic seeded Montreal Canadiens; a team with a fast offense; an aggressive defense; and stone wall, Vezina-contender Carey Price in net. Many believed the Rangers would be washed right out of the post-season by the heavily Cup favored Habs. Lundqvist had other ideas; he shutout the Habs in Game 1, but then allowed four goals in three goals in Games 2 (OT loss) and 3. However, Hank rebounded and lead the Rangers to three straight wins, ending up in a Game 6 series win on home ice at Madison Square Garden. In the MTL-NYR series, Henrik Lundqvist posted a .949 save percentage, a goals against average of 1.83, and one shutout. He was turning heads, looking like his old, “vintage”, self. In short, he looked great.
Henrik Lundqvist now with a cool .937 save percentage for the playoffs. Not too bad for a guy who I was told had lost his fastball this year
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) May 5, 2017
Trouble in the Second Round
Round 2 was a bit different. The Ottawa Senators, perhaps the most surprising team of the post-season along with the Nashville Predators, beat the Blueshirts in six games. Turnovers, poor defensive play, and lack of offense at critical times lead to this disappointing exit. However, Lundqvist still played well, consistently showing how he is fighting for that ever-so coveted Stanley Cup win. It was upsetting to see such a hard-fighting player lose yet again at his shot to win the Stanley Cup. He ended the series with Ottawa with a .907 save percentage and a goals against average of 3.00. His final playoffs numbers looked like this; a save percentage of .928, a goals average against of 2.42, and one shutout.
HOLY. HENRIK.#StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/eREmrUv4x4
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 6, 2017
Joining Sweden
About a week and a half ago, Henrik Lundqvist was sitting in New York City- disappointed and bored. There was no more hockey for him to be played; at least at the NHL level. Across the world in Germany and France, another tournament was being played- the International Ice Hockey Federation Men’s World Championships. The annual tournament pins teams from around the world against each other to claim the title of world champion. Lundqvist, a native of Sweden, was eligible to go over and play for his nation. He would once again wear the blue and yellow sweaters of Sweden. Lundqvist is no stranger to international play. He has won a Gold Medal in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, and a Silver Medal in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. Lundqvist decided he would play, and boy what a good decision it was.
Brotherly Influence
Henrik joined his brother Joel Lundqvist, whom he has not shared the same ice with as teammates for 12 years. He joined the team on May 9th, four days after the tournament started.
“I wanted him to come, for sure, but I wanted it to be his decision,” said Joel, now a forward for Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL), to the New York Times. “I told him how great it was here in Cologne and that we had a great team and that it would be awesome to play together again. But it was important to me that he was sure that he was ready, mentally and physically, to play, and thankfully he felt that way and decided to come.”
ICYMI: Henrik Lundqvist @HLundqvist30 stops Canada's @Marner93, and Sweden wins gold in shootout. #IIHFWorlds @Trekronorse pic.twitter.com/wbQ8fcoVCg
— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 21, 2017
Immediately Henrik was starting in between the pipes for Tre Kronor. Before he arrived, Sweden had three wins, one loss, and one overtime loss. With Henrik now in net, Sweden battled its way through the games and eventually through the elimination matches, defeating teams such as Switzerland and rival Finland.
The Gold Medal Match
On Sunday, May 21st, Team Sweden took on powerhouse Team Canada. The game was set to be a battle of the ages, the two best teams going at it for Gold. The game was a battle, not only needing overtime, but a shootout. Lundqvist would only allow one goal, while stopping a total of 42 of 43 shots, leading Team Sweden to a shootout win and ultimately IIHF Worlds Gold. Lundqvist finished with a 1.31 goals against average and a save percentage of .946 in five games (two preliminary, three medal round). Seeing Lundqvist make the final, game-winning save and win the Gold Medal was an awesome feeling for Sweden, Rangers, and hockey fans all around.
Brothers Joel Lundqvist and Henrik Lundqvist pose together with the 2017 World Championship trophy #IIHFWorlds pic.twitter.com/m3k0bn1D3A
— RMNB (@rmnb) May 21, 2017
“It’s a great feeling,” Lundqvist told NHL.com. “When I left New York, I was very disappointed the way it ended there. I also saw this as a big opportunity for me to come and play for my country and play with my brother. I don’t know how many more chances I’ll get. This was the goal, the dream. I pictured this. We had the team for it. I put a lot of pressure on myself to come here and help the team to do it. “I’m super proud and grateful.”
Two Thirds of the Triple Gold
Henrik Lundqvist is now a Stanley Cup win away from becoming the first goaltender to become a member of the infamous “Triple Gold Club”- (winner of a Stanley Cup, an Olympic Gold Medal, and an International Gold Medal). At 35, his time may be running out, but he still has some left in the tank, that is for sure. If anything is certain, it is that “King Henrik” is not dead. He is not dethroned, he is indeed alive and well. Sure, he has his ups and downs, but he is still proving to fans and players that he is not done. His amazing play in both the NHL playoffs and the IIHF tournament tells us this.
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