Since the beginning of the season, something has seemed a little off about goalie Henrik Lundqvist. He hasn't been himself and neither has the rest of the team, but Hank has been uncharacteristically bad. Henrik has struggled in the first three months of the season, as his numbers show.
Lundqvist has not looked like the former Vezina Trophy winner nor the goaltender who carried the Rangers to the Stanley Cup Final. Henrik ranks 36th in save percentage in a league that only has 30 starting goaltenders. He is also 29th in goals against average. Now I understand that these troubling stats are not his fault as he adjusts to new defensive pairings, but Henrik looks like a shell of what he used to look like.
Maybe Henrik is tired after such a long playoff run. The Rangers and Lundqvist played 25 postseason games after a long regular season. Maybe it's the fact that he doesn't have a contract situation over his head to motivate him anymore. Or maybe Hank is waiting for the right time to turn it on. Henrik has been notorious for his slow starts, as he and the Rangers tend to stumble out of the gates. Last year after a long beginning of the season road trip the team was well under .500 and the team did not look like the Stanley Cup contenders we saw in June. Then one game turned the tide and Hank and the Rangers hit their stride.
The bad news about this situation is that we know Henrik is performing poorly. The good news is that it's a long trek to the top of the mountain and we are all on the journey. I expect Henrik and the Rangers in the upcoming months will flex their muscles and start winning games. The team is healthy again and they have a some what favorable schedule ahead. With Henrik getting a much needed rest day vs Detroit I expect a new, rejuvenated and confident Henrik Lundqvist on Monday vs the rival Pittsburgh Penguins. Henrik will prove all the critics wrong and the Rangers will prevail. The return of the King is much needed, but we the fans need to be patient.
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