News Article: Lundqvist quotes from Breakup Day

[Crease]

Nothing earth-shattering but a couple of interesting bits:

• 
  The last two days you haven't slept much, been thinking a lot about the game and what you could have done different to be in a different position right now. Looking at the series we did a lot of good things but in the end they made some plays that were the difference, winning a couple of games that we felt we had a good chance of winning. It came down to a couple of plays in Game 2 and Game 5 are what stick out.

• 
  On Ottawa, "You gotta give them credit, they are a good team and are in the Conference Final, of course they are good. We definitely had a chance to be there right now but we are not and we need to learn from it and it's going to hurt for a while. They are a good team, smart team and made some skilled plays at the right time. You look at the numbers and how much we are leading games and it comes down to some crucial minutes in a couple of games where we just didn't get it done. I needed to come up with the extra save when we needed to. You spend the last couple of days thinking about it and wishing you are in a different spot but your not.

• 
  On the core of this team, "this team...if you asked me if we had a chance to win this year, absolutely. So I believe in this group, I believe in what we have in this room but we came up short. I think it's important here to analyze and correct it for next year. You look at the regular season and playoffs and in the end there are a lot of teams not playing going into the playoffs and the second round, there is definitely some good things here and we should feel good about that but we came up short on our goal."

• 
  On the window closing on him to win a Stanley Cup, "I take it year by year, you have to, you can't look too far ahead of yourself. It's my dream, my goal to win but right now in this moment you need to reflect on what just happened and learned from it and move on and try to have a better season next year. The highs were definitely there for me this year, I had a lot of good games. The part that I need to improve on is the games where maybe I need to be OK or good. I think that dropped a bit this year too many times. The "A" performance was still there in a lot of wins and that is something that I bring with me for next season."

• 
  How do you prepare for next season, "train harder, it's my only way. As you get older you need to take care of your body better and train harder. Nothing comes easier for you. I think I have a better understanding though of how to approach a new season and the expectations and all of that and the game. When it comes to training there are definitely no shortcuts to me. I will take a break soon, not yet though, I decided to go to the World Championships, tomorrow and join Team Sweden. My brother is the captain and I haven't played with him in 12 years. Also the fact that we are not part of the Olympics, I see this as an opportunity to play for my country one more time and my brother. I will go there and try to finish really strong this season and I will reflect."

https://www.sny.tv/rangers/news/what-henrik-lundqvist-said-on-breakup-day/229642936

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[JohnC]

I needed to come up with the extra save when we needed to.

I've been told Henrik never holds himself accountable.

 

[Tawnos]

I wonder if that thing about working out is a new realization for him. Players have to get to it at some point. Those that don't fade away more quickly.

 

[Crease]

Tawnos I thought the same thing. You hit a certain age and you realize you have to change the way you prepare if you want to stay at the same level. Getting older is a learning experience in itself.

 

[The Gloaming]

I've been told Henrik never holds himself accountable.

Yeah, why aren't his breakup quotes just him screaming at / about how defensemen?

 

[Miamipuck]

I've been told Henrik never holds himself accountable.

Come on that's just subterfuge. On breakup day he was caught taking down targets with Girardi-Staal, Stepan, and Holden faces on them.

 

[Levitate]

I wonder if that thing about working out is a new realization for him. Players have to get to it at some point. Those that don't fade away more quickly.

I'd bet he has always been a very hard worker when preparing for the season and all but maybe needs to change how he's working out to better take care of his body, maybe change of diet, etc. His teammates have always said he's one of the hardest workers they've ever seen but the way you can work out and prepare when you're 25 versus 35 is certainly different even if you still feel like you're working your butt off

 

[Chimpradamus]

World class all through. Imagine if half the team held themselves to the same standard and effort.

Lundqvist saw the most high scoring quality chances of all goalies in the playoffs after two rounds, but that doesn't stop him from accepting he wasn't good enough, because the team didn't win. He didn't have his best playoffs, but he wasn't exactly bad either. The simple fact is, NYR is currently not good enough if their goalie doesn't stand on his head every game. That's troublesome to say the least.

Imagine of half the team had half the hate for losing that Lundqvist has. They would be unbeatable.

 

[haveandare]

I've been told Henrik never holds himself accountable.

I never understood that.

People say that, I say no, then it's "well find examples" as if I'm going to dig through every post game he's done to find the million examples of him critiquing his own play.

He's always held himself accountable and held himself to a very high standard. He had his ups and downs this year but if everyone on our team had his attitude, we'd probably have a cup or two by now.

 

[Miamipuck]

It's probably because he had the gall to yell at a teammate.

Can you imagine the horror and psychological disorders he's causing other Rangers? I bet Hank is the reason Staal and Holden gave the puck away so much, Hank hurt their feelings.

 

[Ori]

I've been told Henrik never holds himself accountable.

It`s between his lines if u read carefully - you can`t blame Henrik for this 2nd round exit when Stepan & Nash were barely noticable in this series on the first line, and even Vesey scored.

 

[mrhockey193195]

After his first ever mediocre regular season, I was very worried about Hank. But these playoffs proved to me that he is still elite and still good enough to carry this team to a cup. People say that "he's your highest paid player, you should expect him to carry an otherwise bad team all the way". Well, yes and no. Crosby is Pittsburgh's highest paid and best player, but that doesn't mean he is expected to score 2 points per game in the playoffs. With the lack of support he was getting, Henrik needed to do the equivalent of 2 points per game or something that ridiculous for this team to win. With a slightly better defensive effort, Henrik would still have to carry the team but it would be realistic.

 

[Siddi]

I've been told Henrik never holds himself accountable.

I wonder where those people are now

 

[Chimpradamus]

I never understood that.

People say that, I say no, then it's "well find examples" as if I'm going to dig through every post game he's done to find the million examples of him critiquing his own play.

He's always held himself accountable and held himself to a very high standard. He had his ups and downs this year but if everyone on our team had his attitude, we'd probably have a cup or two by now.

It's because there's an extreme minority on this board who in their ridiculous fashion try to call Lundqvist out for throwing teammates under the bus.

They never have any proof of this of any video material or nothing, just their word. Their word isn't exactly watertight.

 

[Ori]

Zib should play for Sweden too with Henrik - good experience for him.

 

[BBKers]

Zib should play for Sweden too with Henrik - good experience for him.

All 3 NYR Swedish fwds are abstaining due to upcoming contractual negotiations

 

[Chimpradamus]

All 3 NYR Swedish fwds are abstaining due to upcoming contractual negotiations

Correct. All Swedish players wanted to go, but all of them except Lundqvist had a contract stretching over the next season, unfortunately.

Both Fast and Lindberg would've been good additions to a national team. Bad luck for them this is the year it's the La Cucaracha year with the La Cucaracha coach in NYR.

 

[Ori]

All 3 NYR Swedish fwds are abstaining due to upcoming contractual negotiations

Yeah, I`m aware of that @BBKers, so it`s understandable.
But it`s a good experience for them later, because they are so young players.

 

[Revel]

Nice to see Henrik slip in some accountability there. He didn't do it after games 2 or 5 that I recall, but better late than never.

 

[Bluenote13]

Nice to see Henrik slip in some accountability there. He didn't do it after games 2 or 5 that I recall, but better late than never.

It's funny because I can't think of one player one coach or one manager who has been as accountable as Henrik has during his time here.

He's even held himself accountable when it wasn't even his fault, who else has done that?

 

[Revel]

It's funny because I can't think of one player one coach or one manager who has been as accountable as Henrik has during his time here.

He's even held himself accountable when it wasn't even his fault, who else has done that?

The past has nothing to do with the present. Presently (recently), he has called out the team, but not himself. He was correct to call out the team, but on nights when he clearly allowed multiple soft goals, he didn't publicly display any regret for the way he played.

It seems to me that Hank is getting a pass and is getting religiously defended based on past performance and behaviors. That was then. This is now. I care about the now.

That said, I'm satisfied with the token he threw us today. He seems to recognize he could have been better.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

After his first ever mediocre regular season, I was very worried about Hank. But these playoffs proved to me that he is still elite and still good enough to carry this team to a cup. People say that "he's your highest paid player, you should expect him to carry an otherwise bad team all the way". Well, yes and no. Crosby is Pittsburgh's highest paid and best player, but that doesn't mean he is expected to score 2 points per game in the playoffs. With the lack of support he was getting, Henrik needed to do the equivalent of 2 points per game or something that ridiculous for this team to win. With a slightly better defensive effort, Henrik would still have to carry the team but it would be realistic.

The team scored 4 or more goals in 4 straight games against the Senators. Enough with the "lack of support". I know it's popular meme here because Lundqvist can't do anything wrong, but it's false.

 

[Machinehead]

I like everything he said here.

I just wish he wouldn't yell. He gets himself off his own game worrying about what his stupid teammates are doing.

 

[GOAT AINEC]

He's been saying the same thing for over a decade.. Windows closed, time to retire before he embarrasses himself with an even worse season next year.

 

[eco's bones]

Henrik is 35 years old now. He was great against Montreal but his game took a dip against the Senators. His game wasn't the only one to have had a drop-off. Girardi wasn't as good against the Senators as he was against Montreal and neither was Nash. They are older players too and older players are ones that you look first to replace. I'm separating Staal who was just bad from beginning to end.

Henrik's a Hall of Fame goaltender--of that there is no doubt. I have my doubts though that he's ever going to win a Stanley Cup at his age unless the Rangers have another goalie that they are once in a while willing to insert into a playoff game. IMO if Raanta had taken a game or two--Henrik might have been better for it. It's counter intuitive to how the team's history with him as goalie and counter intuitive to how a lot of Rangers fans would react. Even so--he's getting older and the results aren't getting better and looking at this series--if the Rangers had played Raanta in game 2 and/or game 5 it could have been a better result for us.