Lundqvist deserves much better than his teammates have given him

Perhaps unfairly at times, I’ve been rather critical of New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Since he entered the NHL in the 2005-06 season, he’s had some great regular-season numbers — but when it comes to the post-season, he’s accomplished nothing.

He’s only got a handful of series victories — and only once, last year, did he ever win two series in one season.

And up to a few weeks ago, I wrote, in this same space, that it was somewhat embarrassing that the so-dubbed “King” was far from being a king, given his incredible lack of playoff success.

And then yesterday happened.

And then it hit me — as it did many other hockey fans.

This guy is the reason — the only reason — the Rangers were in Game 2 against the Caps yesterday afternoon at the Verizon Center. This guy is the only reason that game wasn’t 8-0. This guy would already have multiple championships if he played elsewhere, somewhere where his teammates backed up his incredible play with — oh, you know — scoring an occasional goal.

In two games, the Rangers have a grand total of one goal. While I understand the Caps don’t exactly have a ton more — they’ve only scored four — this team’s offense has just disappeared. 

Lundqvist has single-handedly carried this team in two games in Washington. He’s done it so many times before. And quite frankly. he deserves so much better.

Perhaps it’s because I am getting older — but I just feel badly for the guy. Here’s a man who, day in and day out, shows up. Even in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, which our team won in six games, the guy was barely at fault for the four games his team lost. When Adam Henrique scored on OT in Game 6 to win it for the Devils, Lundqvist was practically left out to dry by his teammates, many of whom were flat on their asses when the puck crossed the goal line.

Steven Schaffer is a buddy of mine I met over a year ago on Facebook. He’s as big and loyal a Rangers fan as I’ve ever known. And he’s likely the most intelligent Rangers fan I’ve ever known, too. After yesterday’s game, here’s what he said about Hank.

Henrik Lundqvist deserves so much
better than his teammates have
given him over the years.  

Perhaps it was sarcastic. Perhaps it wasn’t. But it was striking, nonetheless.

“I hope Hank leaves as a free agent and goes to a team and wins a cup,” Schaffer wrote. “They don’t deserve him.”

Regardless of the intent of this statement, it’s true. The guy has played well enough over 8 or so years to win a Cup. Multiple Cups, practically. And yet every post-season, his teammates let him down.

One thing’s for sure. 

Our team has an aging goaltender. He’s likely a year or perhaps, at most, two, away from retiring.

And if Henrik Lundqvist really wants to win a cup, I am sure Lou Lamoriello would be more than happy to offer him a nice incentive to cross the river.

Hey — a man can dream, can’t he?