New York Rangers: Henrik Lundqvist is defying father time
Despite all the talk regarding what the New York Rangers can and can’t do this season, the staple of this franchise, Henrik Lundqvist, still feels as though he has something to prove.
The New York Rangers may have a losing record to start, but don’t let that fool you from the fact that Henrik Lundqvist is just ridiculous at this game.
If there is one thing we truly cannot critique after seven games of observations, it is the lights out goaltending via Lundqvist.
He has given the Rangers a legitimate chance to win through all of his outings, which at the end of the day is all you can ask for with this younger group trying to mesh.
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He sports a 1.99 GAA and .939 SV% (at the time this writing) after facing the likes of the Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks and the Colorado Avalanche.
I acknowledge how early it is to be getting excited about this, but we must remember Lundqvist is coming of his career worst season, is 36-years-old and the Rangers are in “rebuild mode.”
You would think he should be on a heavy decline, but he is the best thing we can say about the Rangers right now.
He saved 31 pucks on 33 shots Tuesday night en-route to the impressive 3-2 shootout win vs the Avalanche. This, of course, included the arguable save of the season on Matt Nieto in the waning seconds of the second period.
When does this guy run out of highlight reel saves?
Yet, the most convincing performance so far was the 3-2 victory against the Sharks, where he posted 41 saves on 43 shots and the Rangers put one home in overtime (finally).
The offensive production has been underwhelming to say the least .
It has put the Rangers at a disadvantage every game so far because there just isn’t enough tallies to either hold or gain a lead.
That is something that David Quinn must rectify, but otherwise, things could be a lot worse.
While these offensive struggles are being ironed out, it is nice to know that at age 36, Lundqvist is still giving them a chance to beat the best.
Since the 2014-15 season, Lundqvist’s numbers have been on the decline, so it will be interesting to see how he maintains his play through the inevitable ups and downs of this campaign.
I would think that the last thing Lundqvist would want is to spend the back end of his career wallowing in the basement of the NHL – and that fear is on a prominent display.
dark. Next. What is the word to describe the Rangers so far this year?
Forget all the talk about age. This guy brings a serious chip on his shoulder every season, no matter what the circumstance. It is part of what makes Henrik Lundqvist the purest example of the word, “professional.”