New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist needs help from the team around him

If the New York Rangers are going to take that next step, they must give Henrik Lundqvist some help.

The New York Rangers change some of the faces nearly every year. Some of the names stay, like your Michael Grabners and Mats Zucarellos. Other names change such as Kevin Shattenkirk, all in the name of finding the right combination to bring home a Stanley Cup. Another name that stays at home is the one and only Henrik Lundqvist.

Lundqvist has made his home between the pipes at MSG since 2005. He has watched this team change over several times since he arrived and watched is team get to the Stanley Cup finals against the Los Angeles Kings. The King has gotten the Rangers close but never gotten them over the hump.

Trouble is, unless the Rangers clean some things up, Lundqvist will never get that cup that he desires so much. Otherwise, this aspect of their play will be “Same old Rangers”.

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What do we mean? Well, if you watch the Mighty Ducks movies, you hear Emilio Estevez teach his team about taking out the trash. It means after any shot, get the puck away from the net so a rebound can’t be stuffed in. Clear the players and the puck away.

The Rangers have had trouble in this area, no matter who has been back there on defense. The other night against the Toronto Maple Leafs, most of the scoring chances for Toronto came around careless handling of the puck in their own end. Lundqvist was brilliant once again. After stopping 45 shots against the Devils he stopped 34 against the Maple Leafs. He did everything he possibly could to keep the Blueshirts in this game.

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Lundqvist can’t win by himself, however. He needs help from the players around him. It needs to be one, maybe two shots tops. The defense must clear the puck away from the front of the net consistently. Otherwise we will watch more collapses from this team and it won’t stop.

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