New York Rangers: Another Lundqvist debate looming

It looks like the New York Rangers could be part of the postseason if the NHL goes with an expanded pool of eligible team.  That could present the Blueshirts with a tough choice when it comes to Henrik Lundqvist.

All signs are that the NHL is leaning towards a 24 team postseason with a preliminary best of three “play-in” series involving 16 teams with a bye for the top eight teams.   In most scenarios, that means the New York Rangers will be part of the postseason for the first time in three years.  And that means the three headed goalie monster situation will come to the forefront yet again.

There is no doubt that Igor Shesterkin is the top goalie on the New York Rangers.  The team wouldn’t even be in the playoff conversation without him and he will be in net when the postseason starts.

The question is who will be sitting on the bench, backing him up.  During the regular season, Henrik Lundqvist was the de facto back up whenever Shesterkin or Alexandar Georgiev got the start, but the playoffs are a completely different story.  If Shesterkin was hurt, who would David Quinn want in net?   Would it be the playoff veteran or unproven playoff performer who outplayed Lundqvist as the regular season wound down?

Only one choice

Although Henrik Lundqvist is a flashpoint when it comes to Blueshirts fans, the easy answer is that he should be the backup.  Toss out the goals against average and the save percentage.  The playoffs are a different story and the simple fact is that Lundqvist has played in 128 Stanley Cup Playoff games, 15 Olympics games, 33 World Championships games and three World Cup games.

Alexandar Georgiev has played in three Liiga playoff games in his career. He’s never played in a must-win game in any professional league.  While one of his hallmarks has been his composure, to expect him to step into a Stanley Cup playoff game with the season on the line without a bad case of nerves is unreasonable.

Relief efforts

A lot has been made about Henrik Lundqvist’s dislike of coming into a game in relief.  When starting, his pre-game ritual and concentration are legendary and coming into a game cold doesn’t appear to suit him.

That said, he has made three relief appearances so far this season. The first was the November 14 debacle in Tampa, a game the Blueshirts lost 9-3.  Georgiev allowed five goals in just under 27 minutes of play and Lundqvist came in and allowed four goals in 33 minutes.  With five power play goals against, it was the worst effort of the season for the Blueshirts. Both goalies and the entire team was pathetic that night.

Lundqvist’s second relief appearance was on February 11 in a 4-1 win over Winnipeg.  That was the game that Igor Shesterkin was forced to leave for concussion protocol after being hurt in a collision.   Lundqvist played only 6:04 minutes, but he came into a scoreless game cold and made one save on a slapshot by Nikolaj Ehlers.   It was a big save and kept it a scoreless game.

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His final relief appearance was on March 7 in a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils.  Shesterkin was pulled after allowing five goals in the first two periods in his first start since being injured in a car accident in Brooklyn.   Lundqvist shut the Devils down the rest of the way, stopping all five shots he faced.

When Georgiev has had to come in as relief, he hasn’t fared that well. On October 27 he replaced Lundqvist in a 7-4 loss to the Bruins at Madison Square Garden.  This was the game that the Bruins ran roughshod over the Rangers and Patrice Bergeron sent Mika Zibanejad to the injured list.  Georgiev played the third period and allowed two goals on 11 shots, a .818 save percentage.

His second relief appearance was on February 3 in a 5-3 loss to Dallas at MSG.  Lundqvist allowed four goals in the first two periods, including two on the power play.  Georgiev came into the game in the third period, trailing 4-2 and allowed the fifth Dallas goal five minutes into the third period.  Corey Perry scored off a juicy rebound off Georgiev’s left pad.

That was it for Georgiev’s relief appearances.  While it’s not much to go on, it wasn’t stellar. It may surprise many that Lundqvist fared better in relief than his younger teammate.

Who would you choose?

Based on his experience and his relief work this season, it would seem to be a no-brainer.  Henrik Lundvist should be the back up if the Rangers are in the playoffs.  But knowing the controversy that rages whenever his name is mentioned, it may not be such an easy call.

The good news is that we are even having a discussion about who should be the backup goalie for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.   Who would you have on the bench when the Blueshirts are playing for all the marbles in a few weeks?