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ANAHEIM, Calif. — You know what? You can stop asking.
You can stop asking after every defeat or every downturn whether Henrik Lundqvist is truly all-in for this Rangers rebuild or whether he might change his mind and request to be traded to a Stanley Cup contender.
You can stop asking.
And so can I.
“I’m committed,” The King said when The Post popped the question following Wednesday’s practice in San Jose that preceded the flight here for Thursday’s match against the Ducks.
“I’m committed to this. I know that this is going to be a test, how I handle the ups and downs, the growing and the mistakes. Not only me, but the players who have been here for a while and are not used to this,” Lundqvist added. “But I’m prepared for it. I’m embracing the challenge.”
Lundqvist, who will back up Alex Georgiev on Thursday, did not make a snap decision to remain a Ranger when presented by ownership with the option to stay or go when the rebuild plan was unveiled last February. As such, there will be no knee-jerk decision to ask out if this season’s ride is even bumpier than anticipated.
“A lot goes into why you connect with something,” said Lundqvist, the face of the franchise for more than a decade. “The decision to stay is not something that was made in an hour. A losing streak doesn’t change anything. Why would it?
“Being a Ranger and what that means is something that I live.”
Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout victory over the Sharks represented one of the Rangers’ most compelling efforts of the year. It seemed even more impressive following the final-minute defeat in LA on Sunday that probably was the year’s most difficult outcome for the club and the goalie to swallow. After it was over, pain was etched in both Lundqvist’s body language and words.
“While you’re playing, the emotions are exactly the same as they’ve been my whole career, no matter what kind of team we’ve had,” Lundqvist said. “Losing is as painful now as it ever has been. You want to win every game. When you go onto the ice, you expect to win every game. That doesn’t change.
“The difference with this situation for me is how I respond between games and get ready for the next one. With a young team or a new team like this, there might be mistakes that our teams didn’t make when we were at or near the top of the league. We understood how to manage and close out games. Now, it isn’t that mistakes are accepted, but you know that it’s going to be a process to correct them and avoid them.
“I can see from the way we play that the guys want to improve and are working at it. There is going to be good and bad, but I believe we are going to get there. There are things for me to learn, too.”
The learning process continued with another detail-oriented practice. After a few years during which rest and recovery took precedence over work days on the ice, the Rangers’ schedule is heavy with practices.
“Whether we’re a young team or an old team, I like this format,” said Lundqvist, who suffered no carryover effect from having his left shoulder crunched by Cody McLeod in a net-mouth situation during Tuesday’s second period. “We work hard and we have quality practices. That’s so important at any level.
“We should never forget the opportunity we have here. We should all appreciate it.”
The opportunity is there for growth. The opportunity is there to be part of what has essentially become a start-up operation and reap the rewards when, sooner or later, the corner is turned and the Rangers return to prominence.
Lundqvist intends to be part of it all.
You can stop asking.
https://nypost.com/2018/10/31/henrik-lundqvist-ends-any-hint-of-rangers-drama-im-all-in/
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