After watching Henrik Lundqvist these past couple of games, I’ve come to the realization that he’s not as “lights out” as we are used to seeing in seasons’ past. There might be some chinks in the armor that is causing Lundqvist to not play like his normal dominant self.
Don’t get me wrong, Lundqvist is still the king of New York to Rangers fans. His slick style is incomparable to the everyday man. And his play on the ice has been just as incomparable to other team’s goalies, save for a handful. For close to a decade, he has been the unquestionable franchise player for the Rangers. His previous performances on the ice could garner their own Broadway show. Jealousy and spite from cross-town rivals has drawn attention to the Rangers cause of this one man. He’s a once-in-a-generation type of player to don the red, white, and blue. Lundqvist garners attention and doesn’t shy away from the spotlight. He is perhaps one of the very few who have not crumbled under the scrutiny and pressure that comes with being a Ranger.
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But, this season has been a little different for the King. Entering Monday, he is 9-6-3 through 18 games. Lundqvist has four shutouts, which is leads all NHL goalies this season. He has a goals against average of 2.57 with a .911 save percentage, both stats rank him in the top 30 of the league. However, these numbers are a bit off from his career stats of 2.27 goals against average with a .920 save percentage.
He has been shown letting in goals he normally makes. His bread and butter, the shootout, has been little lacking. He is 1-3 with a save percentage of .571. His rookie year, he was 4-3 with a .757 save percentage.
Should these alarm you? No, of course not. A quarter of the season is done and we are not even at the All-Star break. There is plenty of time for those numbers to improve and for Lundqvist to smooth out his armor. But he is 32 years old, not a young 23 year old Swede when he entered his first season.
That year, he took the Rangers by storm, posting an incredible 30-12-9. He set franchise records in wins and shutouts as a rookie goalie. He finished that season with a 2.24 goals against average and .922 save percentage. That same year, the Rangers averaged 3.05 goals per game.
Eyes On Isles
This season, the Rangers are averaging 2.91 goals per game. Slightly less than Lundqvist’s rookie season. So it’s not for the lack of scoring. Perhaps, it’s just time for Lundqvist to let up a bit. For most of his career, he’s had to be the most dominant player on the ice. He’s had to shoulder the burden alone. He’s not had a solid defense in front of him for a majority of his career.
Now, he has that. Even despite the challenges this year’s team is bringing (new personnel, injuries, inconsistent play), the defense is only giving up 2.61 goals per game. His rookie year, they gave up 2.57 goals per game. However, in recent games, the defense is starting to become consistent again. Regular pairings are becoming familiar with one another and making Lundqvist’s job easier.
It’s ok to see Lundqvist struggle a bit. The old adage “bend, but don’t break” could be used to describe his play this season. And that’s ok cause everyone is due to have an off game every now and then. Especially for someone who has been the “King” for so long in New York!