Henrik Lundqvist Mix Megapol Interview 6/27/14

Henrik enters the video around the 2:02 mark, leaves around 2:08 and returns around 2:11.
As always, it would be much appreciated if anyone out there can translate the interview for the rest of us. Also, if you haven't already- please vote for Henrik for the ESPYS. The links to vote are the in previous post.

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Henrik Lundqvist on His Draft Moment

Henrik Lundqvist Breakup Day Video Interview

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview + Notes

Henrik Lundqvist made 48 saves in the contest. The Rangers goalie finished the playoffs with a 13-11 record, including a 6-6 mark on the road. Lundqvist, who established franchise records for career playoff appearances and career playoff wins this year, posted a 5-1 record, along with a 1.22 GAA and a .964 SV% in six games in which the Rangers faced elimination in the playoffs this year. Lundqvist stopped at least 40 shots for the second consecutive game, the third time in the last five contests, and the fourth time this postseason. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist is the first goaltender in Rangers history to make at least 40 saves in consecutive playoff games since the stat was first compiled in the late 1950s, and is the first Blueshirts goaltender to make at least 40 saves in four playoff games in one year. In seven career playoff games in which he has made at least 40 saves, Lundqvist is 3-4 with a 1.71 GAA and a .950 SV%. The Rangers goaltender ranked second in the NHL with a playoff career-high 13 wins this year. He also ranked second in the NHL in GAA (2.14) and SV% (.927) in the playoffs.

New Henrik Lundqvist Video Interview

Anchor of Rangers Buoys Them Just in Time

After practice one afternoon, Henrik Lundqvist discussed his hockey mortality. “You don’t know how many chances you get in the playoffs,” Lundqvist said. “Before you know it, it might be over.”

Lundqvist did not share these feelings the other day, or last week, or even last month.

This was in 2012, in an interview conducted not long before the postseason. Lundqvist was selected as the league’s premier goalie, and the Rangers entered those playoffs as the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but they did not even reach the Stanley Cup finals.

This year they did, and the fact that it took until Lundqvist’s ninth season to play for the Cup, at age 32, underscores the capricious nature of the sport: the best players, on the best teams, are not always rewarded. It would be a shame if he never again plays for a championship, if his brilliance in Game 4 on Wednesday night preserved the Rangers’ honor, but only served to delay the inevitable.

There was reason to cheer again at Madison Square Garden, to clap and stomp and chant, “HEN-reek,” after Lundqvist — with perhaps a little assistance from the hockey gods, who kept two pucks from crossing the goal line — shepherded his team to a 2-1 victory.

Stopping 40 of 41 Los Angeles shots, including all 15 in the third period, Lundqvist rescued the Rangers again, as he did in Game 7 against Philadelphia, as he did in Game 6 against Pittsburgh, as he tends to do with his team facing elimination at home. In his last eight games at the Garden in those circumstances, Lundqvist is 8-0, compiling two shutouts and a .968 save percentage.

“One mistake and the season is over,” Lundqvist said after the game. “You’re definitely aware of that.”

It was a candid assessment from a perceptive guy, someone who has been the Rangers’ fulcrum year after year but only within the last three seasons had morphed into a postseason dynamo, but especially for these finals. Lundqvist had been viewed as the superior goalie in each of the Rangers’ three prior series, but Jonathan Quick, who won the Cup in 2012, is at the very least his equal.

The assumption was that Lundqvist would have to steal a game (or four) for the Rangers to overcome the mighty Kings and capture their first title since 1994. They lost Game 1 in overtime, Game 2 in double overtime and Game 3 after ceding two goals on deflections and a third after an unlucky carom — a lack of puck luck, as Lundqvist called it.

Lundqvist had played well before Wednesday, but he had been victimized by circumstances out of his control — wicked redirections, not-so-subtle prodding in the crease, egregious defensive breakdowns. As a result, Lundqvist said he wanted to be careful in evaluating his performance, but still, he said, he needed to play better, and he did.

Aside from the breakaway goal he yielded to Dustin Brown, Lundqvist stymied Brown from up close and Jarret Stoll from the slot and Jeff Carter with an outstretched pad.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist became the first goalie to record at least 40 shots in an elimination regulation victory in the finals since the N.H.L. began recording saves as an official statistic in the 1950s.

He saw no reason to apologize for the shot by Alec Martinez that, after squeezing through his pads, was cleared off the line by Anton Stralman. Or for their good fortune in a frenetic final 80 seconds, when a tipped shot by Tanner Pearson slipped between Lundqvist’s legs and danced a millimeter or two in front of the line. Perhaps the Rangers’ puck luck had changed.

They will not know until Game 5 on Friday night in Los Angeles, where the Rangers, buoyed by this sliver of hope, will have another opportunity to extend this series. To let Lundqvist relish the chance before it is over.





http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/12/sports/hockey/anchor-of-rangers-buoys-them-just-in-time.html?rref=sports/hockey

Watch Henrik Lundqvist Receive the Broadway Hat From Dominic Moore

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interviews + Notes and Photos

Henrik Lundqvist made 40 saves in the contest to record his 43rd career playoff victory. The Rangers goaltender has posted a 13-10 record in the playoffs, including a 7-5 mark at home. Lundqvist has posted an 8-0 record, along with a 0.99 GAA, a .968 SV%, and two shutouts in his last eight games when facing elimination at Madison Square Garden. He has allowed one goal or fewer in seven of those eight contests. The Rangers goaltender has also posted an 11-2 record, along with a 1.30 GAA, a .959 SV%, and two shutouts in his last 13 games when facing elimination. When the Blueshirts have faced elimination in the playoffs this year, Lundqvist is 5-0 with a 1.00 GAA and a .971 SV% (168 saves on 173 shots). The Rangers goaltender has allowed one goal in each of the five contests in which the Rangers have faced elimination this year. Lundqvist recorded 40 saves for the sixth time in his career – his third time in the playoffs this year – and for the second time when the contest has not ended in overtime. The Rangers goaltender has posted a 3-3 record, along with a 1.67 GAA and a .952 SV% in playoff games when he has made at least 40 saves. Lundqvist made his 90th consecutive start in the playoffs in the contest, dating back to Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Apr. 26, 2006 vs. New Jersey. He is the third goaltender in NHL history to start 90 consecutive playoffs games with one team (Martin Brodeur – New Jersey, Patrick Roy – Colorado). Lundqvist ranks second in the NHL in wins (13), GAA (2.15) and SV% (.926) in the playoffs

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Practice Video Interview

Henrik Lundqvist "Extra" TV Show Video Interview

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

Henrik Lundqvist made 39 saves in the contest. The Rangers goaltender has posted a 12-9 record in the playoffs, including a 6-5 mark on the road. Lundqvist has stopped 79 of 87 shots he has faced in the series. The Rangers’ all-time wins leader in both regular season and postseason play ranks second in the NHL in GAA (2.16) and SV% (.925) in the playoffs.

Watch Kevin Weekes Interview Henrik Lundqvist for NHL Network

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Practice Video Interview

Henrik Lundqvist Hockey Night in Canada Video Interview

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview + Notes

Henrik Lundqvist made 40 saves in the contest, including 20 saves in the third period. The Rangers goaltender has posted a 12-8 record in the playoffs, including a 6-4 record on the road. Lundqvist stopped 40 shots in a playoff game for the fifth time in his career, and the second time this postseason (he made 40 saves in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 19 at Montreal). In the five career playoff contests in which Lundqvist has made at least 40 saves, he has registered a 2-3 record, along with a 1.77 GAA and a .948 SV%. The Rangers’ all-time wins leader is tied for first in the NHL in SV% (.928) and ranks second in the NHL in GAA (2.07) in the playoffs.

Henrik Lundqvist Wants To See a Parade in New York

LOS ANGELES — His legacy as an NHL goaltender is not all that drives Henrik Lundqvist.

There is a photo in the Rangers’ training center in Greenburgh, N.Y., which may provide the most incentive to the 32-year-old Swede when it comes to his desire to win a Stanley Cup. The photograph is of the Rangers’ parade in 1994.

"I’ve been walking by that photo every day for nine years and I’ve seen myself being there. I definitely want to be there. It’s been a dream for a long time," Lundqvist said yesterday on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings.

Game 1 will be played Wednesday night at the Staples Center. Lundqvist is four wins away from winning his first Cup and experiencing the New York City parade of his dreams.

But he may also be four wins away from the missing piece to his legacy as one of the greatest goalies in NHL history. Without a ring, will he truly be appreciated for being as good as he’s been?

"He’s been a proven goaltender since the time I got here eight years ago," teammate Dan Girardi said. "Obviously playing for a Cup is going to help his résumé, but I don’t think he has to do that much more to be recognized as one of the best goalies in the league."

But losing to the Kings would end the fact that Lundqvist may be the best goalie never to have won a Stanley Cup.

"When you play this game, you want to win. It’s about winning," Lundqvist said. "I got the question going into the playoffs about if I have anything to prove in the playoffs. I don’t feel that way.

"I see this as a great opportunity, though, for us as a team and for me personally to try win a Cup. No question. I’ve been in New York nine years and it’s been a dream ever since I came to New York to try to win and bring the Cup to New York. We definitely have the team to do it. Now it comes down to we need everybody to play their best."

He will be matched against Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. Lundqvist has the better stats in these playoffs, but Quick won a Cup two years ago against the Devils.

"He’s one of the best in the league," Lundqvist said. "We’re kind of opposites. He’s extremely aggressive. He’s like a gymnast out there, all over the place, but he’s so quick and so powerful.

"I sit back. I try to stay deep in my net and maybe more in position. But in the end it’s about stopping the puck and he does it really well. It’s going to be a fun challenge for me. You have to expect going into the playoffs that every team has a great goalie, but Quicky is obviously one of the top in the league. We have to make it tough for him to see the puck."

Quick was hit in the shoulder by a shot during the Kings’ practice yesterday and left the ice, but coach Darryl Sutter said there was no reason for concern.

"No. Jonathan is a tough guy. He’s probably the first guy out of the room," Sutter said.

Quick indicated he was leaving the ice anyway and would be okay for Game 1.

As for Lundqvist, he is ready to go. He will try to enjoy his first Final as best he can.

"You try to enjoy it, but it’s not like you go out every game and have a blast. That’s not how it works," the Rangers’ goalie explained. "You go out and you’re super-focused and it’s intense.

"But there are moments through the game when you get a rush or you just take that moment in and really enjoy it. Then you go back to being really focused on what you have to do. You have between games where you can enjoy it and reflect a little bit on where you are."

So close that the Stanley Cup is within his grasp.

"Now is not different from other years. This is something I’ve wanted for a long time and it doesn’t change when you get close," Lundqvist said. "You always have this feeling going into the season. You always have this feeling going into the playoffs. Of course you’re going to get more excited the closer you get, but you try to keep your same mindset and same focus you’ve had all along."

Unlike some of his fellow goalies, Lundqvist may have other chances in the future. But he knows how difficult it is to get here and wants to seize the opportunity.

"It’s not always about the last game of the season, trying to win that," he suggested. "It’s about the entire year, trying to have fun and see what you can accomplish year after year.

"But when you break it down, in the end, of course you want to win. You want to win the Cup and we’re four wins away. I know this next step will be the toughest one to take, but to me personally it would mean everything."

His teammates have faith in him.

"I think I’m lucky to be able to play behind him for eight years now. I think he’s the best goalie in the league," Girardi said. "To have him back there you know if you make that little mistake it’s not going to cost you every time. Having him back there playing the best hockey I’ve ever seen him play I think gives us a good chance."

They are the underdogs.

"I don’t know how I see us. I think it’s 50-50 here," Lundqvist suggested. "It’s going to come down to will. How badly do you want this? When I look at the teams, we’re pretty even all the way through."

He’s got that parade photo as added motivation.

"There are a bunch of photos," Lundqvist said with a smile. "There is (Mark) Messier (lifting the Cup), guys on the buses with people everywhere, (all) of New York celebrating.

"It’s a sports town. When things start going well for any team in that town, it’s exciting. We’ve seen the Yankees and the Giants win and what happens to that city and obviously what it would mean to this organization. It would mean everything and it would be very special to be part of it."


http://www.nj.com/rangers/index.ssf/2014/06/stanley_cup_final_rangers_goalie_henrik_lundqvist_wants_to_see_a_parade_in_new_york.html

Henrik Lundqvist Eyes Ring For Immaculate Collection

By Bruce Arthur 

LOS ANGELES—Start with his hair. Look at it. It’s not a hairstyle; it’s a goddamn symphony, every strand in concert with the others, rising and falling. Henrik Lundqvist doesn’t have to do that with his hair, right? There’s got to be an easier way, a less perfect way, but he refuses to take it.
As the 2014 Stanley Cup final opens, Lundqvist is trying to crack the last hard task. His New York Rangers are decided underdogs to the Los Angeles Kings, who have superior forwards, a superior defensive corps, a team that applies pressure until you crack, and Stanley Cup rings. The biggest reason to believe in the Rangers is Henrik Lundqvist is in goal. He will have to be great, but that’s always been what he’s aiming for, anyway.
“There’s a reason why he’s the king,” says Martin Biron, now with TSN and the NHL Network, who backed up Lundqvist for parts of four seasons in New York. “He’s good-looking, he’s got it all, he’s the best goalie, he plays the guitar, gets on Jimmy Fallon show, all that, and there’s a reason: Because he prepares and works so hard for it. If he didn’t put all the time and effort into being his absolute best at every moment, he would just be very good. He wouldn’t be great.”
Lundqvist was a shy child growing up in the tiny town of Åre, a little over 350 kilometres south of the Arctic Circle. His twin brother Joel once had to hold up his brother’s hand to volunteer to play goaltender; as the New York Post’s Larry Brooks wrote the other day, the only reason Lundqvist was picked in the seventh round by the Rangers was because one European scout wouldn’t shut up about him.
When Lundqvist got to New York, he had already played four seasons with Frolunda in the Swedish Elite League. But it was hard. The old Rangers crowds — before the $1-billion renovation that ushered in Madison Square Garden’s more gilded age — were a volatile chorus. As Lundqvist told Sports Illustrated’s Brian Cazeneuve in 2012, “I really wanted their approval. You shouldn’t worry if people like you, but I really did. I still do.”
He has that now, but he wants more. He won the gold medal for Sweden in the 2006 Olympics, and the affection rained down on him when he went home to play an exhibition game against Frolunda in 2011; they chanted his name and sang him songs and he was touched, and you could see it.
In the NHL, he got to Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final two years ago and lost to New Jersey and Martin Brodeur, and it has taken him a long time to get over that. He has imagined the New York crowds if they win. There isn’t much Henrik Lundqvist doesn’t have, and this is on the list.
“I think now is not different from earlier years,” said Lundqvist, one day before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final. “This is something I wanted for a long time, and it doesn’t change — you always have this feeling going into the season, you always have this feeling going into the playoffs. And of course you get more and more excited as you get closer. But you try to keep that same mindset and same focus that you had all along.
“But already my first couple days (after the Eastern Conference final) at the training centre, seeing that photo from (the Rangers championship season of 1994) — I’ve been walking past that same photo for nine years. And I’ve seen myself being there. And I definitely want to go there.”
He gets a little dreamlike when he says this; he speaks a little softer, even in the middle of this ring of cameras and microphones and lights. And then he recovers his famous Swedish equilibrium.
“Yeah, it’s been a dream for a long time, and to be in this position is extremely exciting.”
Great goalies don’t always win the Cup. Since the lockout of 2004-05, Lundqvist has the second-highest save percentage of any goaltender with at least 200 starts at .920, fractionally behind Tomas Vokoun. And during that time the Cup-winning goalies have been Cam Ward, J-S Giguère, Chris Osgood, Marc-André Fleury, Antti Niemi, Tim Thomas, Jonathan Quick and Corey Crawford.
All have gotten hot. Few have experienced sustained greatness. On that list, only Thomas ranks with Lundqvist. But they all have rings.
“You could take video of Lundqvist and show it to a bunch of 10-year-olds and say, this is how to play efficient,” says Biron. “This is how your movement, your butterfly, your positioning will be efficient. Everything he does is about being technically perfect. That’s him.
“His clothes have to be technically perfect, well-tailored, fit good. His cars, his life, his vacations, his Twitter. It’s always the best of everything. His casual look is better than 95 per cent of everybody else. That’s who he is. I’ve been to his house, and his dog is this perfectly behaved dog, this Doberman who just goes out and comes in. It’s awesome.
“It’s got to be tough, to always have those highest standards. But he keeps going for it.”
He does, because he can’t do anything else. Lundqvist is this blend of ease and intensity, and he hides the latter well. He has suffered migraines and blurred vision from grinding his teeth, but he tries to make everything look easy, even when it’s hard. Why? Is it because he had a twin brother, and they were both born competitive? Is is because he was shy, and now he never wants to be the kid who is afraid to speak? Is it because he came all this way from a small town on the edge of nowhere?
Whatever it is, he’s so close to this, now. He’s almost there.
“It’s not always about the last game of the season, and winning that; it’s about the entire season, and having fun and seeing what you can accomplish,” says Lundqvist, every hair in place. “But when you break it down, in the end, of course, you want to win. You want to win the Cup. We’re four wins away. I know this will be the toughest step.
“But for me personally, it would mean everything to win.”

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2014/06/03/stanley_cup_final_henrik_lundqvist_eyes_ring_for_immaculate_collection_arthur.html

Henrik Lundqvist Wants Photo Like Mark Messier's From 1994

By Stephen Lorenzo

LOS ANGELES — Perhaps the most famous image in Rangers history is an elated Mark Messier gripping the Stanley Cup in 1994, minutes after his Blueshirts ended a 54-year championship drought.
After seeing that picture every day, Henrik Lundqvist is hell-bent on adding a frame of his own.
The Rangers goaltender will take his next step toward becoming a champion on Wednesday night when the puck drops in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. As he sat at a podium and addressed a throng of media Tuesday afternoon at Staples Center, Lundqvist offered a glimpse into his burning desire to become a member of New York sports royalty, joining the likes of Namath, Jeter, Messier and Manning.
“Since my first couple of days at the training center and seeing that photo from ’94, I’ve been walking by that photo every day for nine years. And I’ve seen myself being them and I definitely want to be there,” Lundqvist said. “It’s been a dream for a long time, and to be in this position it’s extreme excitement.”
“(In the pictures) there’s Messier, there’s guys on the buses (in the parade), there’s people everywhere, entire New York celebrating. It’s a sports town,” Lundqvist continued. “When things start going well for any team in that town, it’s exciting, and we’ve seen the Yankees and the Giants and when they’ve been winning, you see what happens to the city and obviously what it would mean to this organization and everything. It would be very special to be a part of.”
The Rangers have missed the playoffs only once (2010) since the 2004-05 lockout, but New York rarely tends to remember its runners-up. Now, for the first time in 20 years, the Rangers are the talk of the town.
Derick Brassard, for one, isn’t surprised. The center says the road to the Cup started as far back as last season, almost immediately after the Bruins eliminated the Blueshirts in the second round of the playoffs.
“The best thing I learned last year was when we got beat by Boston and what our leadership group said after the game,” Brassard said. “I didn’t know anything about the playoffs. It was my first time. And all of the leadership was like, ‘that’s not where we want to be, this team has bigger expectations.’ I was like, ‘Hey, we won one round, we got beaten by Boston, which was a pretty good team.’ But I remember that speech and I was like ‘OK, this organization wants to win.’ These players that have been here for a while, they want to win. It’s no coincidence we’re here right now.”
Later, Brassard was more specific about who in that “leadership group” led the way.
“The goalie,” Brassard said. “That’s the one that sticks out.”
Lundqvist has been the Rangers’ best player this postseason and has inserted himself into the Conn Smythe Trophy conversation with a 12-7 record, a 2.03 goals-against average and an NHL-leading .928 save percentage.
He faces a tall order for his first NHL crown against opposing goaltender and former Conn Smythe winner Jonathan Quick and the L.A. Kings, who hoisted the Cup in 2012.
But Lundqvist remains confident in his club, and while a Stanley Cup is the goaltender’s ultimate goal, a parade down the Canyon of Heroes wouldn’t be so bad either.
“For nine years, every day that I’ve been in New York, it’s been a dream to be part of a winning team in New York,” Lundqvist said. “It’s not always about the last game of the season, trying to win that, it’s about the entire season, every year to see what you can accomplish year after year.
“But when you break it down, in the end, of course, you want to win. You want to win the Cup and we’re four wins away. I know this next step will be the toughest one to take. But to me personally, it would mean everything to me.”


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/picture-rangers-lundqvist-iconic-photo-messier-article-1.1816270#ixzz33ecc5321

Lundqvist Only Four Wins Away From Fulfilling his Kingly Dream

By Brett Cyrgalis

LOS ANGELES — On the eve of his first Stanley Cup finals, Henrik Lundqvist was asked to reflect. So he thought about a picture hanging in the Rangers practice facility in Westchester, a photo from the Cup-winning team of 1994 that he has seen since his first days with the franchise in 2005.
“My first couple days at the training center, seeing that photo from ’94, I’ve been walking by that photo every day for nine years,” Lundqvist said at Staples Center on Tuesday’s media day ahead of Wednesday’s Game 1 against the Kings. “I’ve seen myself being there and I definitely want to go there. It’s been a dream for a long time. To be in this position, it’s extremely exciting.”
Even more exciting for the Blueshirts’ backbone goalie was to allow himself just the smallest of moments to be in that place, to see himself in those photos, and to see his adopted hometown around him in one large embrace.
“It’s a sports town,” Lundqvist said. “When things start going well for any team in that town, it’s exciting. We’ve seen the Yankees and the Giants, they’ve been winning and you see what happens to that city.
“And obviously what it would mean to this organization, it would mean everything. It would be very special to be part of it.”
Despite the fact Lundqvist is going into this series as the odds-on favorite to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason MVP, he has also been adamant throughout the playoffs to deflect attention from himself and toward the team. On the grandest of stages, under the brightest lights, he did that once again — but did it with full recognition of what it would mean for him personally if in two weeks he was skating around with a 34 ¹/₂-pound chalice over his head.
“I got the question going into the playoffs [about] if I have anything to prove in the playoffs, and I don’t feel that way,” Lundqvist said. “I see this as a great opportunity now, for us as a team and for me personally, to win the Stanley Cup, no question. I’ve been in New York for nine years. It’s been a dream ever since I’ve come to New York to try to win and bring the Cup to New York.”
The closest Lundqvist has come was two seasons ago, when the Rangers fell short in the conference finals against the Devils. But from the view between the pipes, this team is different.
“Two years ago,” he said, “we didn’t have the amount of guys we have now that can be the difference every night.”
For Lundqvist, it’s clear this team is better.
“We definitely have the team to do it,” Lundqvist said. “Now it comes down to we need everyone to play their absolute best.”




http://nypost.com/2014/06/03/lundqvist-only-four-wins-from-fulfilling-his-kingly-dream/

Henrik Lundqvist Media Day Video Interview and Photos

Henrik Lundqvist Fox Sports 1 Video Interview

The Incredible Saga of How the Rangers Lucked Upon Lundqvist

By Larry Brooks


Two days. That is how long a relatively unknown 18-year-old goaltender from Sweden named Henrik Lundqvist had been sitting in the stands of the Saddledome in Calgary without hearing his name called during the 2000 Entry Draft.
Joel Lundqvist, the goalie’s twin brother, had been selected in the third round by Dallas, the center going 68th overall. All of the other Swedish prospects who had made the trip to the draft already had been chosen.
“You can only imagine what that felt like,” Henrik told The Post on Sunday. “My agent suggested I come over to get a taste of my first North American and NHL experience. There was thinking I would be drafted in the fourth or fifth round, so when it got to the sixth round, I thought maybe coming to Calgary hadn’t been such a great idea.
“I mean, all my buddies had been taken and were kind of looking at me. We were all sitting in the same row. Nobody knew exactly how to act or what to say. It was kind of like, ‘Come on, Hank.’ It was not a great feeling,” The King said. “Then after the fifth round, someone from Dallas said since they’d taken my brother, they were going to take me in the sixth round.”
Twenty-one goaltenders had been selected, including Rick DiPietro first overall by the Islanders. The Rangers had drafted Union College netminder Brandon Snee in the fifth round, 143rd overall. Calgary had taken Brent Krahn with the ninth overall selection. The Stars had selected Dan Ellis 60th overall.

The Stars selected Henrik’s brother, Joel, earlier in the draft, leading to speculation they would take him.
But now, it was coming up on Dallas’ turn at No. 169.
“I was really excited,” Lundqvist said. “I starting moving up to the edge of my seat, thinking I would hear my name. I remember hearing, ‘Dallas selects….’
He heard, “Dallas selects from Poldi Kladno of the Czech League … right wing Ladislav Vlcek.”
“It seemed like such a long time before they said his name,” Lundqvist said. “I didn’t know what to do.”
He remained in his seat.
If Henrik Lundqvist was relatively unknown coming off his second season in nets for his hometown Frolunda junior team, the goaltender was very well known to the Rangers, and specifically to their ace European scout, Crister Rockstrom.
That was the draft that took place approximately three weeks after Glen Sather was hired as general manager. Martin Madden was in place as director of scouting. Assistant GM Don Maloney was in charge of the draft in which the club did not have a first-rounder and chose Filip Novak 64th overall and Dominic Moore 95th.
“It’s a very funny story, it really is, but first allow me to stake my claim to being part of Rangers history as far as having direct impact on bringing Henrik Lundqvist to New York,” Maloney, currently the Phoenix GM, told The Post by phone on Monday before the Blueshirts chartered to LA in advance of Wednesday’s Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. “I mean, that’s the way I’d like for people to remember it, but oh, boy…”
Maloney, you should know, was laughing at himself. Loudly.
“Yeah, give me credit,” he said. “I didn’t know Henrik Lundqvist from Joe Smith. My brilliant mind.”
Rockstrom knew. But Madden knew differently.
“Every time Crister would bring up [Lundqvist’s name] to him, Martin shot it down,” an individual at the draft table told The Post. “One round after another.”
A few times, the term “water torture” was used. As in, “Enough, enough … it’s like water torture hearing [Lundqvist’s] name.”
So Maloney now was preparing for Round 7 and what would be the 205th pick in the draft.
“When you get to the late rounds in the draft, most of it is determined by which [scout] at the table has the strongest voice pushing the hardest for his guy,” Maloney said. “I respected Martin, but Crister had such a great track record that naturally I would defer to him.
“We were between the sixth and seventh rounds. I was sitting next to Crister, and I happened to glance over at his book that had all of his rankings of the eligible players going into the draft,” Maloney said. “When guys are selected, you highlight the name.
“So I noticed that the book was open to the page of European goaltenders and that Henrik had been ranked first in that category by Crister going into the draft and was still there,” Maloney said. “I said to him, ‘Is that the top [junior] goalie in Europe?’
“Crister said, ‘Yeah.’
“’Why haven’t you been pushing him to me?’” Maloney wanted to know.

“’Because Martin doesn’t like him.’”
Maloney made an executive decision, and it is one that does get him into the books. The road to history and to the Cup is littered with serendipity.
“With all due respect to Martin Madden, who was a good scout, if Crister liked someone, and that much, that was good enough for me,” Maloney said.
“’Water torture!’”
And so with the 205th pick of the draft, the Rangers selected Henrik Lundqvist, who could breathe again.
“What a relief it was,” the current Conn Smythe front-runner said. “I went down to the table and put on my Ranger jersey for the first time.
“That whole experience, I will never forget it.”
Five years later, Lundqvist became a Ranger. Ladislav Vlcek never played an NHL game. Thirteen of the 21 goaltenders selected ahead of Lundqvist never played an NHL game. Two of them played in only one game, including Calgary’s Krahn.
Fourteen years later, a championship beckons.
“Just think about it,” Maloney said. “Arguably the greatest goalie in Rangers history — and who knows, maybe by the time he’s through, the greatest player in Rangers history — and this is how it happened.
“A lucky glance at Crister Rockstrom’s notebook.”





http://nypost.com/2014/06/02/the-incredible-saga-of-how-rangers-lucked-upon-lundqvist/

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Practice Video Interview

The Rangers King Eyes his First Ring

By Barbara Barker


This is Henrik Lundqvist's moment.
It's the moment that eluded him through his first eight NHL seasons and seven failures in the playoffs.
It's the moment that looked as if it might never come early this season when the Rangers goaltender struggled to adjust to a new system under offensive-minded coach Alain Vigneault.

This is the moment when Lundqvist can secure his legacy, his place in the hearts of New York sports fans, by helping the Rangers bring home a Stanley Cup.
Lundqvist has two Olympic medals and more wins than any other goalie in Rangers history, but he still needs to hoist that Stanley Cup on his shoulders to avoid being the Patrick Ewing of the Rangers -- a great player who never gets his due because he never won it all.
Marty Biron, who backed up Lundqvist in goal for three seasons and is working for the NHL Network during the Stanley Cup Final, thinks Lundqvist now has a chance to end any discussion about who is the best goalie to play for the Rangers.
"Henrik is getting a chance to move ahead of everybody," Biron said in a phone interview Monday. "Everybody talks about Mike Richter and Eddie Giacomin, but mostly Richter. Even though Henrik has beaten Richter's record [for franchise wins], Richter has the Stanley Cup, and that will always put him up there at the top.
"Henrik now has the chance to be the Rangers' No. 1."
In April, a week before the start of the playoffs, Lundqvist talked about how winning the Cup was the one great challenge he had left. On Monday, it was clear that Lundqvist is ready to get the series going against the Kings.
"I'm excited," he said. "I definitely look forward to this."
Lundqvist enters the Final coming off a 1-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Lundqvist had to make only 18 saves in that game, but he will be remembered forever for his Dominik Hasek-like stop in the second period on a deflected puck.
That twirling save was all it took to convince Biron that Lundqvist was determined to make it to the next level.
"That isn't the way Hank plays. He's a very structured, inside-the-box-type goalie," Biron said. "I had a chance to play with Dominik in Buffalo, and he made plays like that all the time. When I see Hank pull a rabbit out of the hat and make a save like that, it tells me he's going to do anything he needs to do to get there."
If there was any doubt how big winning that game was for Lundqvist, it was obliterated later Thursday night when he tweeted: "It took me nine years, finally made it. My first Stanley Cup final! So proud of this group of guys! 4 to go . . . "
This is Lundqvist's moment.

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/henrik-lundqvist-the-rangers-king-eyes-his-first-ring-1.8314655

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Practice Video Interview

New Henrik Lundqvist Page Six Sighting

The New York Rangers celebrated their first trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 20 years after winning the Eastern Conference by partying into the early hours of Friday.
Game 6 hero Dominic Moore and goalie Henrik Lundqvist were spotted at hot spot Tao Downtown with fellow Blueshirts Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal, Derick Brassard, Carl Hagelin, Chris Kreider, Martin St. Louis and Mats Zuccarello.
“Most of the team was there, at the same table, and a few brought wives and girlfriends,” a spy said. “They were all dressed in really sharp suits, and, of course, in good spirits.”
Bottles of Dom Perignon topped with sparklers were sent to their table, but the Rangers — who start the Cup playoffs on Wednesday — were “pretty chill, and weren’t going crazy. They stayed until around 2 a.m.”
Lundqvist was with his wife Therese, and well-wishers approached “to tell him he was the king of New York.”
Meanwhile, center John Moore, who sat out Thursday’s game on suspension, partied at Bounce Sporting Club with family and friends until 2 a.m.


http://pagesix.com/2014/05/30/rangers-pop-bottles-to-celebrate-trip-to-stanley-cup/

Henrik Lundqvist’s Appearance in Stanley Cup Final Will Help Silence Critics

By: Mark Zwolinski


Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist took to Twitter in the wee hours of Friday morning following a sterling 1-0 shutout win over Montreal that punched New York’s ticket to the Cup final.
“It took me nine years, finally made it. My first Stanley Cup final!! So proud of this group of guys! 4 to go …”
The 32-year-old from the ski town of Are, Sweden, was overjoyed.
Lundqvist, a nine-year NHL veteran, has always been one of the best goaltenders during the regular season. But his playoff numbers pale somewhat, largely he has played for Ranger teams scoring precious few post-season goals resulting in quick exits.
Now, Lundqvist is in his first final. “Hank,” as he’s referred to in the Rangers’ dressing room, has already sparked debate about dominating goalies and their roles in Stanley Cup runs. Lundqvist hasn’t won the Cup yet, but he’s on the same journey as some of the greatest over the past two decades. The list includes Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, Ed Belfour, Martin Brodeur, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Jonathan Quick, Corey Crawford, Marc-Andre Fleury, Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas.
There’s no question Lundqvist deserves mention in that group.
First and foremost, when he emerged victorious over the Penguins in Game 7 in the second round, Lundqvist became the only NHL goalie ever to win five Game 7’s.
That particular victory arguably did more to quell the debate about Lundqvist — that he is a tremendous regular season goalie with little playoff success. But his critics should remember that he has been nominated for the Hart and Vezina trophies and is a strong candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy this season as well.
Lundqvist’s performance in these playoffs will not stand out as much, say, Roy’s 1993 playoff effort. The Habs lost the first two games of the playoffs that season but went on to register 10 overtime wins and had a record-tying 11-game playoff winning streak. And this by a team that didn’t have one player in the top 10 in regular-season scoring.
Others could point to Belfour’s performances for Dallas against the New Yersey Devils in the late 1990s as some of the greatest David vs. Goliath battles ever put up by a goaltender.
Lundqvist’s performances are more subtle but just as effective.
For instance, his Game 4 win over Montreal came with the Rangers in the penalty box for almost 15 minutes. Afterward, his save percentage shot up to .931 while his career playoff win total climbed to 41, good for 22nd on the NHL career list, and matched Mike Richter’s franchise record. (Lundqvist has now passed it, with 42 wins).
His second-round performance over Pittsburgh was one for the ages, largely because New York averaged 2.14 goals per game over the seven-game series, low for a playoff team. Essentially, though, Lundqvist was all but unbeatable as the Rangers came back from a 3-1 deficit in the series. In the last three games, Lundqvist posted a GAA of 1.00, stopping 102 of 105 shots for a .971 save clip.
Ultimately, Lundqvist’s recognition as the game’s best — he led the NHL in games with two goals or less in the regular season — has carried over into the playoffs, where he has allowed two or less in 14 of 20 playoff games to date.
Even more impressive is that Lundqvist receives very little offensive support. So far in these playoffs, Lundqvist has backstopped a Rangers team averaging just 2.70 goals per game — eighth among the 16 playoff teams, but last among teams with 14 or more playoff games (Jonathan Quick is seeing his Kings teammates score 3.42 goals per game, which would have easily led the NHL regular season).
New York’s goal differential is plus-9 while the Kings are at plus-13. Lundqvist has faced 543 shots, made 504 saves, good for a league leading .928. Quick has faced 562 shots, with 511 saves, and is second at .909. Lundqvist, though, has allowed only 39 goals while Quick has seen 51 go past him.
Behind the Rangers’ low-ball goal production, Lundqvist entered these playoffs with 86 playoff games, more than anyone in the last nine years, save for the Penguins’ Fleury.
Lundqvist went to the conference final for the first time two years ago, losing to rival New Jersey. The Rangers, then under coach John Tortorella, where a low scoring team. They’d manage just 14 goals in the six-game series against the Devils, and Lundqvist had shutouts in two of the first three games.
“It felt like we didn’t reach our full potential,” Lundqvist said this week during the Montreal series. “It felt like we had some more to give, and that is something you want to make sure this time around that you put everything out there.
“Every practice now — everything — every little thing I can do now to help my game I’m trying to do that, and trying to do it the right way so I can help this team to win games. It’s fun when you challenge yourself to try to reach your top level, and that’s what you’re trying to do every game.
“But especially when it comes down to important games. You want to try to be there for your team, and it’s definitely about pushing yourself.”



http://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2014/05/31/henrik_lundqvists_appearance_in_stanley_cup_final_will_help_silence_critics.html