Henrik Lundqvist is Still a Top NHL Goaltender

[Fataldogg]

Lundqvist received a great deal of criticism for his performance last season. He deserved that criticism. After posting seven consecutive years with a .920SV%+ (.921, .923, .930, .926, .920, .922, .920) he posted a .910SV%. By many fans, especially Ranger fans, not only was he no longer considered elite, but he was not a "good" starter in the NHL.

During the last playoff, Lundqvist posted a .927SV%. He was the main reason the Rangers beat Montreal in the goaltender duel against Carey Price, but also a contributing factor to their loss against the Senators.

This season he started with a rough October, but since November has been a top-5 goaltender in the NHL at the age of 35.

On the season he has 17W a 2.59GAA and .920SV%.

Since November 1st Lundqvist has a 2.26 GAA (5th in NHL), .931SV% (5th in NHL) and 14W (2nd in NHL) while playing on a team which typically has poor puck possession numbers and routinely gets out chanced by their opposition. It's also important to note he has been an absolute work horse for the team this season (organization has no faith in Pavelec).

How much does he still have left in the tank? Where does he currently rank among NHL starters? Are we too quick to dismiss a huge body of work for any player when a world class player has an off season?

Click to read more...

 

[eviohh26]

Yep. He certainly is.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

He's not in the top 3 anymore but he's still a top goalie of course. I have him around the top 5-7.

He was a top 3 goalie for a whole decade, that's an incredible feat in this day in age to be so consistently at the top for so long.

 

[Quiet Jack]

He's still a top goaltender when it comes to blaming teammates for goals against

 

[TomasHertlsRooster]

He is on top of the backup

 

[135ace]

He's a top 3 most overpaid goalie. Not top of anything else though.

 

[Syckle78]

Top ten goalie in the metro for sure.

 

[Quiet Jack]

And when I say his ex teammates can't stand him I mean it. He is known as one of the biggest egomaniac's in the league

 

[wolfgaze]

And when I say his ex teammates can't stand him I mean it. He is known as one of the biggest egomaniac's in the league

Please site your sources regarding this. You said 'teammmates' (plural) so I can only assume you can reference at least 2 individuals who have conveyed this. Thanks!

 

[Quiet Jack]

Please site your sources regarding this. You said 'teammmates' (plural) so I can only assume you can reference at least 2 individuals who have conveyed this. Thanks!

I'm not going to cite them. One is a former Rangers goalie, the other is a former Rangers forward. If you choose to not believe me that's fine.

 

[Goodbahd]

He’s not worth his contract. This article is trying to justify his contract.

 

[Machinehead]

He's still a top goaltender when it comes to blaming teammates for goals against

I've called him out many times for yelling at his teammates on the ice - that should stay private.

But in fairness, he has spent all of his career behind Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and the most idiotic defensive "system" I've ever seen an NHL coach employ.

You'd lose your temper too.

 

[Allan92]

Every argument against the OP thus far has been total baseless crap and clearly posted by people who haven't seen many Rangers games this year. It's been about 20 games now of stellar (vintage) play from Lundqvist and he's stolen a lot of games for us

Had a bad stretch from halfway through the 15/16 season where he began to become inconsistent into the 16/17 season where he was downright bad a lot of the time. He's adjusted his game and quite literally is better than ever. Playing the way he's playing now and leaning more heavily on his composure and underrated aggression (seriously few goalies take away the net like Lundqvist one on one) against the shooter, I see him being good to go for the next 2 seasons at least. We do need to find a back up who can play maybe 25 games for him, perhaps a little more, like Raanta did last season.

So yes, he is most certainly a top goaltender, I have him comfortably top 5- on his game, in the playoffs, I take him over anyone

 

[Blueblood2]

If you compare goalies with a similar supporting cast in front of them and don't care about contract value then Henrik is somewhere between 5-10. Top 5 for game 7 in playoffs.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Well he has ex teammates that can't stand him because of the way he acts after letting in goals. Similar to Ryan Miller.

But to answer the question no, he is not still a top goalie.

Oh really? Can I see a few quotes from former teammates on this please

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I've called him out many times for yelling at his teammates on the ice - that should stay private.

But in fairness, he has spent all of his career behind Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and the most idiotic defensive "system" I've ever seen an NHL coach employ.

You'd lose your temper too.

But it's cool for you to call him out, even though you argue "in fairness". Okay.

 

[Canada Drai]

I'm not going to cite them. One is a former Rangers goalie, the other is a former Rangers forward. If you choose to not believe me that's fine.

Marty Biron and Sean Avery? Those are my guesses.

 

[Siddi]

Well he has ex teammates that can't stand him because of the way he acts after letting in goals. Similar to Ryan Miller.

But to answer the question no, he is not still a top goalie.

Care to share any proof or is it something you pulled out of your ass?

Not a top goalie? The stats say otherwise.

 

[Mortivore]

Back to topic

After his rough start this season, i was sure he was done. But he have turned his game around big time. Right now he looks like a legit top 5 golie. I hope he can keep it up

 

[YoSoyLalo]

Well he has ex teammates that can't stand him because of the way he acts after letting in goals. Similar to Ryan Miller.

But to answer the question no, he is not still a top goalie.

"No, he is not a top goalie".

Well, f***. You've convinced me.

 

[jetsforever]

Always a great goalie

 

[Machinehead]

But it's cool for you to call him out, even though you argue "in fairness". Okay.

He's human. Not everything he does is right, but he doesn't deserve to be persecuted for it.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Well, considering he has always - and I mean always - been in the top of the league in facing high danger scoring chances and routinely is in the top in high danger save percentage, I would like to see those goalies that would've done a better job. He has made a career out of making Rangers rosters look better and be much more competitive than they actually are. How he can be a .92 goalie behind Vigneault's clown defense is beyond me.

"Top 5 goalie in game 7s". LOL. That's mighty generous of you. Or do you mean all time?

Then there is this graph with goals saved for his team (expected goals vs actual goals allowed). Up on a high mountain you have Lundqvist. Then more than halfway down you have a couple of other goalies.

That he had one bad season after a decade and people wrote him off is kind of ridiculous. Every goalie and every player in this league has had at least one bad season, most have several, especially among goalies. I guess that speaks lengths of the expectations on him, combined with hatred from rival fans.

Is he still a top goalie? Well, yes. Yes he is. Considering the workload and the quality he produces with that workhorse workload, it's very impressive. He's been in top goalie discussions since he entered the league.

Then we have this one from the NYR board:

How's this for a stat:

Dan Rosen‏Verified account @drosennhl
FollowingFollowing @drosennhl
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Henrik Lundqvist needs 30 saves to become the 15th goalie in NHL history with 20,000 saves. He will have the fewest goals allowed (currently 1,746) among goalies with 20,000 saves. Currently, it's Jacques Plante (20,865 saves, 1,960 goals allowed).

He currently has 20128 saves and has allowed 1756 goals with a career save percentage exactly where he is now: .92. Now, this stat doesn't say much considering of the era, but still, it says at least something. Like that after a decade+ of hockey, he's still performing at his average.

To find an NHL goalie with a better career save percentage than him, you have to look at goalies who haven't even played half the amount of games he has.

 

[Zippy316]

Because he's actually showing signs he's human and getting older, people seem to compare him to what he was rather than what he is now.

He's still a top goalie, he's just not otherworldly anymore like he was during the stretch when the Rangers went to the conference final 3 out of 4 years.

 

[BruinLVGA]

Lundqvist is a great goalie. When his career is done and dusted, I expect the Rangers to retire his number. He earned it.