Player Discussion Henrik Lundqvist: Part II

[will1066]

Couple the rust with the team playing its third game in less than 48 hours and Kreider out long term and you've got the perfect "thrown to the wolves" scenario.

Sure, I was rooting for him too. Who wouldn't? Doesn't change the shitshow scenario. Georgiev should've gotten the night off Friday after playing Thursday and started on Sunday. Friday would've been the better choice - on the road, Kreider healthy, no MSG expectations, etc... I didn't expect a lot different than what I saw - a tired team, a rusty goalie, and Strome picking a bad time to have his worst game as a Ranger.

The players will disagree. On a back to back, yeah, they will use that as an excuse. They had the Saturday to recuperate, and every game from here on out is without Kreider. Sure, it sucks losing him, but the players are professionals and they move on and will continue to play the games and not use not having Kreider as an excuse if they don't find success.

Strome had a shit game, I agree.

 

[haohmaru]

The players will disagree. On a back to back, yeah, they will use that as an excuse. They had the Saturday to recuperate, and every game from here on out is without Kreider. Sure, it sucks losing him, but the players are professionals and they move on and will continue to play the games and not use not having Kreider as an excuse if they don't find success.

Strome had a shit game, I agree.

I'd pay less attention to it if it were a "regular" game time and not the 12ish start that it was. They were sluggish the entire game until Mika tried to carry them to the finish line. My point really isn't defending Lundqvist, he wasn't great, but the team was just as crappy as he was.

 

[romba]

I'd pay less attention to it if it were a "regular" game time and not the 12ish start that it was. They were sluggish the entire game until Mika tried to carry them to the finish line. My point really isn't defending Lundqvist, he wasn't great, but the team was just as crappy as he was.

Both teams play at the same time, not an excuse for sluggishness. Playoffs are on the line too.

 

[haohmaru]

Both teams play at the same time, not an excuse for sluggishness. Playoffs are on the line too.

The point wasn't to make "excuses" - it is what it is.

Rangers played Thursday @ Montreal, international flight, back to hotel after 2AM. Played Friday. Played again Sunday at Noon.

Flyers didn't play Wednesday or Thursday. Played Friday @ Home and a bus ride to NY on Sunday.

The Rangers are the youngest team in the league fielding players who have never had hockey schedules like this. Of course it's going to impact them. You can rah-rah about playoffs but they were clearly a step slow on Sunday behind a rusty goaltender. Not ideal.

 

[romba]

Fair points buuut

but they were clearly a step slow on Sunday

aside from the complete game against Carolina they've felt a step behind most games recently....

 

[haohmaru]

Fair points buuut

aside from the complete game against Carolina they've felt a step behind most games recently....

Agree.

 

[duhmetreE]

Happy 38th birthday... you play as if not a day over 37.

I'm still bitter that he hasn't/will not get a cup.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I really don't know what Hanks intentions are for the future. He's been a super pro at keeping his ego in check and refusing to talk about it and I give him a ton of credit. He's been such a leader and a competitor for this team for ages and its really tough to see. But I'm really proud of the guy and how he has handled this. Yeah he's getting paid handsomely but he's been the backbone and unofficial captain of this team for over a decade.

He has said there will be a time to talk about how he has felt through all of this once the season is through. He has said he wants management to be transparent with him (we know they have, but it seems like maybe not enough from his perspective) moving forward. You can bet every reporter will be running to his locker at break-up day.

But if he is deciding to hang up the skates or request to be traded or released, my wish is that he gets a proper send-off. And not just a jersey retirement ceremony he will most surely get. I want the Garden faithful to give him the proper send off during a game that he deserves. Last game of the season or whatever. Hopefully he will hint at his decision beforehand if he does decide to leave in some capacity, so the fans can really let him have it.

If there is any Ranger in the history of this franchise who has earned that special moment, it is him.

 

[Crease]

I really don't know what Hanks intentions are for the future. He's been a super pro at keeping his ego in check and refusing to talk about it and I give him a ton of credit.

I'll quote to reemphasize. This situation could be a lot uglier. Hank has handled the transition with the upmost professionalism so far.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

I find it very weird the Rangers haven’t wished Hank a happy birthday on twitter or Instagram.

They make posts for everyone but not a Ranger legend who is still on the team?

 

[leetch99]

I wonder what his career win/loss record is versus the Fishsticks ? Having an argument with a Fishstick fan who says the Isles owned him over the years .

 

[TominNC]

30-21-7 2.41 .915

Right about his career averages

 

[Cmox]

Fair points buuut

aside from the complete game against Carolina they've felt a step behind most games recently....

I think It has to do with the Flyers being a better team for most periods. I think we might be clouded by the last 2 games so harder to look past them, perhaps? And the last game they’re definitely going to look a step behind missing Krieder.

Maybe Gauthier should play a little more just so his zone entries and driving to the net can be seen?

 

[will1066]

I'd pay less attention to it if it were a "regular" game time and not the 12ish start that it was. They were sluggish the entire game until Mika tried to carry them to the finish line. My point really isn't defending Lundqvist, he wasn't great, but the team was just as crappy as he was.

They had a day to recuperate. They should've came out pumping. Philly was. Are we're chronically late to games as a franchise curse?

 

[Chimpradamus]

Before this year Hank has had the following Star support.

1 100 point scorer while Hank has been with the team
1 50 goal scorer
2 40 goal scorers
1 86 pt scorer

Funnily enough, the 100 point scorer and 50 goal scorer was the same guy, who then broke his shoulder in the playoffs, while Lundqvist suffered from migraines due to teeth grinding.

Don't forget all the help from defensive studs like Poti, Strudwick, Eminger, Mara, Redden, Malik, Bickel, Rachunek, Pock, Ozolinsh, Kalinin, Moore, Gilroy, Del Zotto, Malik, Rozsival and so on. Also add the years of Girardi and Staal in huge decline.

NYR's blueline during Hank's career was utter trash. The forwards weren't much better. There were some exceptions. It was mostly open revolving doors, season after season in the roster.

My favourite stat during Hank's career has to be the goal support in the playoffs he got. 2,37 GF/G, ranked 29th in the entire league. Even a soccer team wouldn't be happy with that. The PP in the playoffs? 28th. Truly abysmal. Faceoffs? 29th again. NYR has still played 4th most playoff games of all franchises from 05/06 onwards. There's one big reason as of why.

You don't get into the playoffs with a roster being lead in scoring by Zherdev with 58 points or so, if you don't have brilliant goaltending. That NYR made the playoffs so many times with those rosters is astonishing. We know why. And when they got there, it was usually a complete slaughter, with Lundqvist trying to make the score look respectable.

 

[leetch99]

30-21-7 2.41 .915

Right about his career averages

He had 30 wins by 2016 against the Fishsticks ...so they did have his number since then according to that . Thanks for the info.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

My favourite stat during Hank's career has to be the goal support in the playoffs he got. 2,37 GF/G, ranked 29th in the entire league. Even a soccer team wouldn't be happy with that. The PP in the playoffs? 28th. Truly abysmal. Faceoffs? 29th again. NYR has still played 4th most playoff games of all franchises from 05/06 onwards. There's one big reason as of why.

His goal support in the playoffs is always crazy to look at. Then you have idiots in the media say "oh well he's a playoff choker and never got it done" blah blah blah.

Even with this goal support the guy made 2 ECF and a SCF and almost got it done. He his insane stats when facing elimination. If he had even just average playoff goal support we probably have at least a cup.

Hell, the year we lost in the SCF our leading scorer was a defenseman in Ryan McDonagh with just 18 points in 25 games. That's ridiculous.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I find it very weird the Rangers haven’t wished Hank a happy birthday on twitter or Instagram.

They make posts for everyone but not a Ranger legend who is still on the team?

I just looked at this today and they did nothing for him yesterday

Very kind of the team

 

[Chimpradamus]

I just looked at this today and they did nothing for him yesterday

Very kind of the team

Lundqvist is officially on the "thanks for the coffee mr. Leetch, but can you please GTFO town?" list. Only they couldn't trade him, so they will drown him in popcorn until he retires.

 

[Captain Lindy]

I wonder what his career win/loss record is versus the Fishsticks ? Having an argument with a Fishstick fan who says the Isles owned him over the years .

Fishstix have owned Hank since the contract he signed. He only won one game I think. It's a terrible record.

 

[sbjnyc]

Any predictions what Hank does next season? His contract is boarderline unmovable and even with 50% retained, it’s still a lot for what you get on the ice.

Think he goes back to Sweden or goes to a team close to the cap floor?

April 4 is the last home game of the season (assuming no playoffs). What are the chances Hank makes his last appearance as a blueshirt?

 

[leetch99]

LOL...not very good if it is a must win for us .

 

[Fugazy]

April 4 is the last home game of the season (assuming no playoffs). What are the chances Hank makes his last appearance as a blueshirt?

Only if the team is out of contention.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Funnily enough, the 100 point scorer and 50 goal scorer was the same guy, who then broke his shoulder in the playoffs, while Lundqvist suffered from migraines due to teeth grinding.

Don't forget all the help from defensive studs like Poti, Strudwick, Eminger, Mara, Redden, Malik, Bickel, Rachunek, Pock, Ozolinsh, Kalinin, Moore, Gilroy, Del Zotto, Malik, Rozsival and so on. Also add the years of Girardi and Staal in huge decline.

NYR's blueline during Hank's career was utter trash. The forwards weren't much better. There were some exceptions. It was mostly open revolving doors, season after season in the roster.

My favourite stat during Hank's career has to be the goal support in the playoffs he got. 2,37 GF/G, ranked 29th in the entire league. Even a soccer team wouldn't be happy with that. The PP in the playoffs? 28th. Truly abysmal. Faceoffs? 29th again. NYR has still played 4th most playoff games of all franchises from 05/06 onwards. There's one big reason as of why.

You don't get into the playoffs with a roster being lead in scoring by Zherdev with 58 points or so, if you don't have brilliant goaltending. That NYR made the playoffs so many times with those rosters is astonishing. We know why. And when they got there, it was usually a complete slaughter, with Lundqvist trying to make the score look respectable.

Lundqvist's career path was really wild, which made his bedrock consistency for 15 years all the more remarkable.

While he'll never get a cup, it's still an amazing accomplishment that he even made it to a final without an elite positional player on the roster. His career was bookended by Jagr and Panarin. In between? Most of the results can be chalked up almost entirely to him.

 

[Chimpradamus]

Lundqvist's career path was really wild, which made his bedrock consistency for 15 years all the more remarkable.

While he'll never get a cup, it's still an amazing accomplishment that he even made it to a final without an elite positional player on the roster. His career was bookended by Jagr and Panarin. In between? Most of the results can be chalked up almost entirely to him.

Yup, that's how I see it as well. While people will hold a goalie like Hasek in higher regard, what Lundqvist did for this franchise, basically as well on his own, with the teams he had in front of him, I think he even excels that. To be that alone and still be that influential in the outcome of basically every game, as a world class player and still get those results, for such a long time, is truly remarkable to me.

And I'm not only saying that as a huge Lundqvist homer, I say that because when I look at the numbers, I look on the teams, I look on all the hundreds of games that he played, he was truly special.

I'm not a homer because I'm Swedish and Lundqvist is Swedish. I'm a homer because I realized just how good he was early on and I have a soft spot for all goalies. I didn't like him at first, because he played for a competitor to my region in the SHL. But I did see just how special he was and that prevails emotional preconceptions.

A competitor of mine dominated the SHL and then it turns into a view of art. Then I came to respect him. He was the entire reason I cared enough with extremely awkward times to follow the NHL live, in the middle of the night, as a student. Even later on, when I was working, I would set the clock to watch the games and be dead tired in the working day, when I was younger.

That's what I hold most remarkable. The atrocious offensive support, the debacle of a defense, while being he was so terrific and holding the franchise to the 4th most playoff games played, while the franchise in itself was, for the most of times, an utter circus. That is what is so impressive to me. That they never won it was never a surprise.

What he accomplished in his career is however a surprise. How can one player dictate the outcome with such dominance? I don't think anyone has done it better than he did. Hasek was close once. Lundqvist was close twice. Always the underdogs, always with underperforming stars and never with a player even being close to him in carrying the team.