Player Discussion Henrik Lundqvist

[mike14]

If the Rangers keep up this level of play Lundqvist may go down in history as the guy who answered the age old question of "can you get so frustrated/angry/annoyed that your head literally explodes"...

 

[Gordon Bombay]

Those HOF defensemen are HOF defensemen because of Marty's skills. They could play above the circles because Marty covered a lot of ice behind them.

Right, Neidermayer had nothing to do with the Ducks winning a cup.

 

[darko]

It's a combination of great d-men, great goalie, very defensive system.

 

[Xref]

Right, Neidermayer had nothing to do with the Ducks winning a cup.

You're right about that. But I maintain that if not for Brodeur's uncanny contributions, the Devils win nothing.

 

[Elliman]

I dunno. I never thought Marty was the best goalie of that generation, never mind all time.

I always tell everyone Hasek IMHO was the best goalie I’ve ever seen.

I also think Richter was an amazing keeper but usually get clobbered on that opinion more often than not.

 

[Crease]

Quick is a good idea of what Richter was in his day.

 

[TheDirtyH]

You're right about that. But I maintain that if not for Brodeur's uncanny contributions, the Devils win nothing.

Marty Turco was a better puck handler. It doesn't make him the best goalie.

Being an integral part of a winning team and being the best at your position are not the same thing is the point being repeated in this thread.

The dominance of the Devils for as long as it lasted (lest we forget Marty was playing in a SCF as late as 2012) has something to do with #30. That said, if I've got a seven game series, I take Roy, Hasek, or Lundqvist before I take Brodeur.

 

[Xref]

Marty Turco was a better puck handler. It doesn't make him the best goalie.

Being an integral part of a winning team and being the best at your position are not the same thing is the point being repeated in this thread.

The dominance of the Devils for as long as it lasted (lest we forget Marty was playing in a SCF as late as 2012) has something to do with #30. That said, if I've got a seven game series, I take Roy, Hasek, or Lundqvist before I take Brodeur.

Turco in his time was great too.

Interesting. But in that situation, I'd take Marty over over Hank every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

 

[C24]

Blind love? you mean like yours for Richter? He gave up a terrible goal that lost the series. Hank never lost a series, he was usually the reason the Rangers were even in a series. The teams in front of Richter when he won, should have won. There's no way in hell you say that about the teams Hank played behind.

Also you said Richter kept teams from being lottery picks, really? That doesn't work both ways? Hank is the only reason this franchise has been relevant since 2007. I may sound like Nevesis and not I am even close as a Hank defender. Yeah he has has bad games and has given up bad goals something he would never admit. Neither here nor there, at least he picked a player that should have the undying love of every Rangers fan. Richter was a great goalie at times, like really good. Hank has been a consistently great goalie almost all the time since he entered the NHL, not at times.

Hank lost the series to Ottawa last year. He was average at best.

 

[Miamipuck]

Hank lost the series to Ottawa last year. He was average at best.

Cool story bro

 

[C24]

Cool story bro

Cool truth.

 

[Miamipuck]

Cool truth.

I don't even know why I am dignifying something so stupid......... AV lost the series, go hump someone else's leg.

 

[ThirdEye]

I'd probably take Brodeur over Hank in crunch time, but he's also had plenty of stinkers during his tenure. Like someone said though, it was a combination of their system, goalie and HOF defenders that won them the cup. Take away even 1 of the 3 and I can see them maybe winning one cup, if that. Actually, one of those were taken away they didn't win a cup in a decade, so there's that

 

[C24]

I don't even know why I am dignifying something so stupid......... AV lost the series, go hump someone else's leg.

Right, Hank was at his best. His save % shows that......

 

[BKGooner]

Turco in his time was great too.

Interesting. But in that situation, I'd take Marty over over Hank every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

An interviewer once asked Gretzky which goalie he would want in net for a one game title decider and without hesitation he said Grant Fuhr. Maybe pumping his own guy's tires but maybe there is more to being clutch than gaudy statistics...
Just playing devil's advocate (because I think Brodeur would be overrated if people didn't talk so much smack about him) - if Brodeur is a system goalie, what does that make Hank during the caveman hockey era?

 

[Based Anime Fan]

An interviewer once asked Gretzky which goalie he would want in net for a one game title decider and without hesitation he said Grant Fuhr. Maybe pumping his own guy's tires but maybe there is more to being clutch than gaudy statistics...
Just playing devil's advocate (because I think Brodeur would be overrated if people didn't talk so much smack about him) - if Brodeur is a system goalie, what does that make Hank during the caveman hockey era?

Just jumping in as a Devils fan here, but if I recall that era right a lesser goalie would have not done so well. A lot of what made Hank so good then was if a shot got through it was usually high danger, and he had to make a big save. It's harder for a goalie to face less shots a game as they get disconnected from the action. Look at Ryan Miller: in Buffalo he played out of his mind and look really good doing so... in St. Louis where he saw way less shots, he was somewhat of a sieve.

As to goalies who carried a team to the cup, Ward did it in 2006... that team was very average in all other departments.

 

[romba]

When I was a kid fanboy I used to argue that Richter was better than Brodeur and Brodeur was a product of the Devils. That was a dumb opinion, and (to bring it back to this conversation) Lundqvist is way closer to Brodeur than he is to Richter.

Lol sounds like me and my Rangers friends in elementary school. Richter has a quicker glove and Brodeur has the quicker blocker. Playing the puck is a non factor of course. Oh and richter would win in a fight. We knew all this because my friend had a 13 year old brother with the inside scoop. Oh to be 10 again lol.

 

[eco's bones]

A Rangers fan since 1971-72 so I've seen Giacomin, Davidson, Mio, Richter etc. Henrik is hands down the best Rangers goalie ever. Richter was very good and he won a cup but he also had a very strong team behind him which included Messier probably the best center or forward I've ever seen in a Rangers uniform (and I'd include Jagr, Ratelle, Gilbert, Esposito etc.) and Leetch who I'd argue was the Rangers best defenseman ever. Henrik never really has had the chance to play with the talent that Mike Richter did or Ed Giacomin for that matter either. Mike was very very good in the 93-94 playoffs though he did have some stinkers including at least one game in the Vancouver series. The fact is the finals shouldn't have gone 7 games. It should have gone 5. Richter blew up in game 5. It worked out in the end.

But Henrik is the best ever Rangers goalie and arguably among the top 5 in NHL history keeping in mind goalies going all the way back into the 1920's etc.

 

[howztheglass]

A Rangers fan since 1971-72 so I've seen Giacomin, Davidson, Mio, Richter etc. Henrik is hands down the best Rangers goalie ever. Richter was very good and he won a cup but he also had a very strong team behind him which included Messier probably the best center or forward I've ever seen in a Rangers uniform (and I'd include Jagr, Ratelle, Gilbert, Esposito etc.) and Leetch who I'd argue was the Rangers best defenseman ever. Henrik never really has had the chance to play with the talent that Mike Richter did or Ed Giacomin for that matter either. Mike was very very good in the 93-94 playoffs though he did have some stinkers including at least one game in the Vancouver series. The fact is the finals shouldn't have gone 7 games. It should have gone 5. Richter blew up in game 5. It worked out in the end.

But Henrik is the best ever Rangers goalie and arguably among the top 5 in NHL history keeping in mind goalies going all the way back into the 1920's etc.

Good read--someone whom has been longer then myself. My first Rangers game was in 1975--Rangers/islanders game started by Soetaert then replaced by Davidson in a blowout. Hank is hands downs 1 on the list of best goalies that have played for the Rangers followed by Richter with the only difference in how the game is played now--much more opened up. Back in the day defense was king and most games would be very low scoring. With the way the game is played now there is no way a goalie will have the same kind of stats.

 

[BKGooner]

Just jumping in as a Devils fan here, but if I recall that era right a lesser goalie would have not done so well. A lot of what made Hank so good then was if a shot got through it was usually high danger, and he had to make a big save. It's harder for a goalie to face less shots a game as they get disconnected from the action. Look at Ryan Miller: in Buffalo he played out of his mind and look really good doing so... in St. Louis where he saw way less shots, he was somewhat of a sieve.

As to goalies who carried a team to the cup, Ward did it in 2006... that team was very average in all other departments.

Loving this bread. We are getting a little out but great opinions. Patrick Roy 86 is one of the all time playoff goaltending performances.
As to Henrik’s place in Ranger history he’s clearly number 1. Top 5 in league history is probably going a little far up the table and I respect the hellmout of Eco.s opinions. He’s definitely no Eddie Mio.

 

[varano]

Man watching these games... You gotta feel bad for hank.

The team is hanging him out to try. 90% of these goals aren't his fault at all.

 

[Irishguy42]

Man watching these games... You gotta feel bad for hank.

The team is hanging him out to try. 90% of these goals aren't his fault at all.

#ExperienceRangersHockey

 

[Mac n Gs]

Man watching these games... You gotta feel bad for hank.

The team is hanging him out to try. 90% of these goals aren't his fault at all.

And we don't have McDonagh to help clean up this mess.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Richter never had the good teams in front of him like Lundqvist has for virtually his entire career. Richter kept those bad Rangers teams in the playoff picture far longer then he should have. For me, Richter is and always will be the greatest NYR goalie. He played in an era of ties and has a cup. The ties are a big deal to me. Lundqvist numbers don't look so amazing if he played in an era of ties.

I can’t recall Richter “keeping in” any of those teams.

Which years did you mean ?

 

[Doctyl]

Richter never had the good teams in front of him like Lundqvist has for virtually his entire career. Richter kept those bad Rangers teams in the playoff picture far longer then he should have. For me, Richter is and always will be the greatest NYR goalie. He played in an era of ties and has a cup. The ties are a big deal to me. Lundqvist numbers don't look so amazing if he played in an era of ties.

This is like the opposite of reality