Thursday, December 31, 2015
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview
- Henrik Lundqvist, with his 355th NHL regular-season win, tied Rogie Vachon for 17th place on the NHL’s all-time list
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Reveals Why He Likes to Throw His Stick in the Crowd
From @TheGarden crowd ➡️ @FallonTonight...@HLundqvist30's iconic stick up for auction » https://t.co/wQQ8wMN20N 🏒 https://t.co/7KYpDANOAp— Steiner Sports (@steinersports) December 21, 2015 
Here's the results of the auction. Click to enlarge:
Monday, December 21, 2015
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Friday, December 11, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Met With a Sports Psychologist Before this Season
VANCOUVER -- Antti Raanta was already well into his first preseason game backing up Henrik Lundqvist before the New York Rangers star spoke to him for the first time that night.
"It was first TV timeout in the first period and he just came to me at the bench and was like, 'It's nothing against you, this is just my style,'" Raanta said with a chuckle. "I think he was worried I thought I did something wrong because I was sitting back, pulling away from him."
No one would blame the Rangers new backup for being standoffish. A lot of goaltenders are given a wide berth as they slip into their own little world of visualization and warmups in the hours before a game, but Lundqvist is well known for the intensity of his pregame preparation.
"On game days he is the most intense guy I have ever seen," said Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin, who played with Lundqvist several times for Sweden in international competitions, including the past three Olympics. "I'd stay away from him. I don't know if that's a rule, but from what I've seen on national teams you tend to stay away from him."
Lundqvist doesn't have to apologize for the intensity that has made him one of, if not the NHL's top goaltender over 11 seasons, an Olympic gold medal winner in 2006 and a five-time Vezina Trophy finalist, winning the award as the League's top goalie in 2012.
Lundqvist is consciously trying to dial back his famous intensity this season, however.
"As a mindset just trying to relax a little bit more during the games, going into games," Lundqvist explained. "Over the years I have been extremely intense, and as you get older I feel like I am trying to get less intense and it is helping my game to be more aware, and I think awareness is key for my game, just be aware of all the situations more than anything."
Think of it as a broader focus, allowing a more relaxed Lundqvist to see a bigger picture rather than getting too worked up and running the risk of becoming puck focused.
"When you are really intense you tend to lock in on the puck," he said. "There are so many plays now where it's not really the first play that is going to beat you. It's that pass, it's that rebound, you get surprised. There's a lot of goals you give up because you are surprised. You didn't see that guy or didn't pick someone up. When I play my best my awareness is better, so finding that balance of being intense but at the same time finding a focus that is a little more relaxed."
That relaxed intensity has been attributed to top goalies like Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals because of how powerfully and precisely they play without ever looking like they get too worked up or out of control. Goaltending is a position where trying too hard can sometimes be detrimental, but walking that fine line isn't easy.
"Finding that balance is hard," Lundqvist said. "But when you do find it, it's a good feeling. You feel like you are on your toes but you feel like you have awareness of the game."
That increased awareness isn't why Lundqvist has been spotted outside the blue ice more often this season. While he hasn't abandoned the goal line-out philosophy introduced to him by Rangers goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, Lundqvist has pushed out to, and sometimes past, the edges of his crease with increasing frequency the first two months this season.
"That's just something I talked to Benny about doing more," Lundqvist told NHL.com. "You have to respect the shot, especially when you have traffic, and that's what I have changed a little this year, to come out a bit more. You try to adjust your game, adapt. You analyze it and see what type of goals am I giving up and adjust to that, and over the years I have been in good control a lot but I have seen a lot of goals maybe from the point and deflections, and this year that has been a lot better because I am more on top of the crease for 'D' shots."
The downside was on display in a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, when Daniel Sedin redirected a slap pass from the point in from just above the goal line for the winning goal before Lundqvist, who challenged Alexander Edler as he wound up for a shot at the point, could recover back to his post.
"The downside is when they make plays like that, but that's the awareness again," Lundqvist said. "I talk with Benny about that all the time and he keeps reminding me to be aware."
If that's the tradeoff, it's worked pretty well so far. Lundqvist is 14-6-3 with a 1.99 goals-against average and leads NHL starters with a .938 save percentage.
While being near the top of the NHL goaltending statistics isn't new territory for the 33-year-old Lundqvist, getting there this early has been a challenge the past two seasons. He posted a .907 save percentage through the end of December two seasons ago and had a .911 save percentage after two months last season, ceding starts to then-backup Cam Talbot with performances well below his career average save percentage of .921.
So what else changed this season? Challenged by coach Alain Vigneault going into the summer to be better coming out of it, Lundqvist met with the Rangers sports psychologist.
"We talked about the biggest difference between the offseason and during the season and we came to the conclusion that during the season I think more about the game, I prepare more, and that's what I have to change going into training camp and get to that phase quicker," Lundqvist said. "That's what I changed and part of that is just visualizing a lot, thinking about my game, what I need to do so when I do get into game situations I just feel more prepared."
Allaire and Lundqvist altered their training camp routine to let Lundqvist prepare mentally.
"During the season you think a lot about your game and upcoming games and what to do and what not to do, so I spent more time during camp thinking like that before I started playing, and when I did start playing it felt more like I was 20 games in than just the first game," he said. "That made a big difference because technically and physically I always feel good coming into camp but the mental aspect, which is probably the most important aspect of a goalie's game, is one that you might forget sometimes."
Lundqvist hasn't forgotten it this season. Nor has he abandoned his pregame routine. It's just a little less intense now.
"I feel more relaxed this year," he said.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=791979
Monday, December 7, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview, Breaks Another Mike Richter Record
Henrik Lundqvist earned his 302nd career win in either regulation or the five-minute overtime period with the Rangers, passing Mike Richter to become the franchise leader in wins not earned in a shootout.
Friday, December 4, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Says it's Time for the Rangers to Win the Stanley Cup
I think most people would be shocked to discover the “King of New York” is from a tiny hamlet.
[Laughs.] Yeah. But it was perfect. It was so small, and all about skiing. There are 1,500 people living there, tops, but during the wintertime a lot of people come there to ski and have a good time. I grew up with my twin brother and my sister and it was all about sports for us. My dad was a ski instructor, so we skied a lot, but hockey was always No. 1, and from an early age.
How small are we talking? Any traffic lights in Are [Lundqvist’s hometown in Sweden]?
No traffic lights.
Movie theatre?
Yes. When I lived there, they turned the high-school gym into the theatre. And it was a flat floor, so they’d pull out the folding chairs. If you had a tall guy in front of you, you were screwed. [Laughs.]
Your first exposure to a big city, was it Gothenburg? And were you shocked?
Yes, because my grandma lived close to Gothenburg, and my dad’s from Gothenburg. He took me and my brother to our first hockey game there. You come from this little town and you walk into this arena with 12,000 people — it was a lot to take in. But it was over there that it started for us, me and my brother. “Wow, we want to play for this team one day.” We were five and we became huge fans of this club, Frolunda. Eleven years later, we ended up there. I got used to the big city, the stoplights, the people, traffic.
The story of how you became a goalie is great.
I was a soccer goalie as well — for some reason, I liked that position. And my brother was always shooting pucks at me on the street, on the lake. At our first team practice, I saw this guy come out with goalie equipment and my eyes just lit up. I loved the gear. I thought it was so cool — and the gear was awful back then. The coach asked if someone wanted to be in net, and my brother raised my hand and pointed at me. We knew, you know? We finished each other’s sentences.
Twins.
Twins. It was like one person, really, until we were 14. Then we started to get our own personalities. I like to go my own way a little more than he does. But that’s how it started with me in net, and I loved it right away.
I heard you guys are pretty competitive. If Joel had 10 shootout attempts on you today, how many times would he score, if any?
If any. Well, I skated with him twice this summer. I joined the team [Frolunda] back there for a couple of practices and we went head-to-head for a couple of rounds. I think he scored one on seven or eight. And I really don’t know who has the advantage. You might think that I know what he’s gonna do, but he thinks the same way — he knows what I’m gonna do. It’s fun, though, to go head-to-head against your friend or your brother, because your competition gets so much more important.
Maybe you overthink it.
I try not to. I hope he’s overthinking it. That’s my goal.
How have you been the most consistent goalie in the NHL for 10 years?
I don’t know. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I always try to take one step in the right direction. I want to improve. I’ve been lucky, because we have a team that’s been very consistent. We’ve had a game plan over the years, and it’s been good. We have good structure. I have a great goalie coach — he can see when things need to be corrected and he can push me in the right direction. That’s meant a lot to my career and my development and the way I push myself.
How has your style evolved?
I think I settled down a little bit.
Settled down in your old age? Just kidding!
[Laughs.] Yeah, well, you get smarter, you know? I’m still pretty aggressive when I play. Even though I sit back, I need to be aggressive. I play on my toes. I think it’s been about finding a better balance on and off the ice. I’m a pretty intense guy when it comes to hockey — good preparation. But I feel like the past few years I’ve been better at finding that balance of not too much, not too little. Less intense.
Goalies are always a little different. Are you?
Well, different is good, right? I think you do get exposed to a very unique situation as a goalie with all the pressure and what you’re doing out there. The way you think and act might sometimes come across as different because of the pressure you’re under. If I look at my buddies back home, I don’t see myself as very different from them.
Has New York changed you?
Yes and no. My basic view of life and the way I act — I don’t think it’s changed much. My situation has changed so much: I have two kids. You get older and your priorities change a little bit. Hopefully you get a little smarter as well. I try. You get a better understanding of the game and of people around you.
There’s a lot of talk about your looks and your style. Do your teammates razz you when you’re in Vogue or People?
They did back in the day. It’s a different time now, though. I remember coming to New York 10 years ago. It was different. The older guys didn’t really care as much as they do now about how they present themselves and their clothing. I think it’s good for the game. I think it’s good that we always travel in suits. It gives a professional look to the organization. We’re all pros, right?
You always dressed up, even as a rookie.
Maybe I took it too far sometimes. Maybe I had to relax a little bit, but that was me. I definitely had some battles with the older guys, and they were questioning my outfits my first couple of years in the league. But I kind of stayed on my course. Like I said, I like to go my own way sometimes. But it was fun.
What would it mean to win the Stanley Cup in New York?
You dream about it, you picture it happening. That’s definitely the biggest goal and dream I have right now. It’s my biggest motivation to try to get better and try to help the team win. I’ve been there for 10 years, and we’ve been close the past few years. I really hope we can take that final step now. It’s time.
http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/the-interview-henrik-lundqvist/
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview + Notes
Henrik Lundqvist made 33 saves to earn his 352nd career NHL win. Lundqvist, who has earned all of his NHL wins as a member of the Rangers, passed Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk for the third-most wins a goaltender has registered with one franchise in league history. The only goaltenders who have earned more career wins with one NHL franchise than Lundqvist has earned with the Rangers are Martin Brodeur (New Jersey) and Tony Esposito (Chicago). In addition, Lundqvist earned his 301st career win in either regulation or a five-minute overtime period, tying Mike Richter’s franchise record for wins not earned in a shootout. Lundqvist has made at least 30 saves in 12 of 20 appearances this season, posting a 10-1-1 record, along with a 2.07 GAA, a .942 SV%, and 2 SO. He leads the NHL in saves (605) this season.
Monday, November 30, 2015
Fast start has Rangers' Lundqvist leading Vezina race
New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault challenged his No. 1 goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, to get off to a better start this season after struggling early the past few years, and "The King" has responded by restaking his claim as the NHL's best.
After adjusting his preseason approach to focus more on technique and position-specific drills with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, Lundqvist has emerged as the early favorite to win his second Vezina Trophy as the League's top goaltender by backstopping the Rangers to the top spot in the Eastern Conference after a 31-save shutout of the Nashville Predators on Monday.
Following a 5-1 loss against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, Lundqvist sits atop the NHL in goals-against average (1.94) and save percentage (.939); his 12 wins are second to the Washington Capitals' Braden Holtby, who has 13.
For those wondering if Lundqvist is sheltered behind a good team playing well defensively, he also leads NHL starters with an adjusted 5-on-5 save percentage of .954, according to war-on-ice.com, a measurement that weighs shot quality based on the distance of the shots a goalie faces.
"He's our best player, there's no doubt," Vigneault recently told The New York Times.
Lundqvist's spot atop the Vezina Trophy race is aided in part by the lower-body injury that kept preseason favorite and reigning winner Carey Price out of action for nine games, but even a healthy Price would have had a hard time staying ahead the way Lundqvist has played through the first six-plus weeks of the regular season. So what has changed for Lundqvist this season compared to the past few, when he didn't seem to find his top form until sometime in December?
In addition to altering the preseason focus with an eye toward a better start, Lundqvist has talked about the benefit of new skates that allow him to more easily grab an edge from his low, wide stance. But the bigger difference, apart from what he's described as a more relaxed mindset, may be where those skates are taking him.
Long known for deeper positioning and a goal line-out approach, Lundqvist has been spotted well beyond the edges of his crease more often to start the season, whether it's taking ice early and retreating with an odd-man rush, or charging out harder from the blue ice when he reads an open look. Although that has at times left him diving back across the crease Superman-style on a handful of highlight-reel saves, Lundqvist believes he's better for it.
"I think a lot of it is just trusting your instincts," Lundqvist told the New York Daily News after the game Monday. "If you look at my game this year, I'm challenging a little bit more, trusting my instincts, and we talked about going into this season to be a bit more aggressive. Just mentally I feel I'm way more relaxed, my focus."
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=789635
Rangers' Lundqvist Early Favorite for Hart Trophy
New York Rangers coach Alain Vigneault put the pressure on goalie Henrik Lundqvist in their exit meeting after last season by telling him to be prepared to be better at the start of the season. It was a message based on Lundqvist's recent history of starting poorly.
Lundqvist has done better than just respond to Vigneault; he's put himself on pace to win the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player. He is off to arguably the best start of his 11-season career with 12 wins, a 1.94 goals-against average and .939 save percentage through 18 games.
He is first in the NHL in GAA and save percentage among goalies who have appeared in six or more games.
Lundqvist's save percentage is the best he has ever had through the first 18 games of a season. His win total is tied for the best he's ever had through 18 games. It's also just the third time in his 11 seasons that he has a sub-2.00 GAA through 18 games.
By comparison, Lundqvist was 9-6-3 with a 2.57 GAA and .911 save percentage through 18 games last season. He was 7-10-0 with a 2.51 GAA and .917 save percentage through 18 appearances at the start of the 2013-14 season.
"We count on him to be our best player," Rangers defenseman Marc Staal said. "And I think we've leaned on him a little more heavily than we have in the past few seasons. He's been huge for us."
A big part of why he's been so good is he took Vigneault's message at the end of last season as both a challenge and an opportunity to reassess his mental approach.
In his analysis, Lundqvist discovered that he wasn't coming into training camp with the proper focus. He realized he was waiting until the start of the regular season to begin trying to find his game when he should have been doing that in camp. He also discovered he is at his best when he finds the balance between being intensely competitive and relaxed.
Together with goaltending coach Benoit Allaire, Lundqvist put together a schedule he felt would give him the best chance to be at his best at the start of the season. It's working about as well as anyone could have hoped.
Lundqvist even admits he's playing the best hockey of his career.
"I think so, just because of the way I feel," Lundqvist said. "I'm more relaxed this year. I've always been intense. I've tried to take that down a notch just to be more aware. I think the awareness has been the best part of my game so far. I try to be relaxed, but at the same time have that compete level that I need."
He has needed his focus because the Rangers are, as Staal said, relying heavily on Lundqvist to win games.
New York is tied for 26th in the League in shots on goal allowed per game (31.4) and 28th in shot attempts percentage (45.88). They're also last in the League in 5-on-5 scoring chance differential (minus-77), according to war-on-ice.com.
"Goaltending is a big part of their success," Montreal Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. "Lundqvist probably is playing the best hockey of his career."
Therrien's opinion on this is interesting because what Lundqvist is doing for the Rangers so far this season is quite similar to what Carey Price did for the Canadiens last season.
Price made up for Montreal's deficiencies in shots on goal against (30.1 per game), puck possession (48.50 SAT%) and 5-on-5 scoring chance differential (minus-116) by finishing first among goalies with 30 or more appearances with a 1.96 GAA and .933 save percentage.
Behind Price, who won 44 games, the Canadiens finished first in the Atlantic Division with 110 points. It was no surprise that Price cleaned up at the 2015 NHL Awards by winning the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award and the William M. Jennings Trophy.
If the status quo remains for Lundqvist and the Rangers, he'll be the big winner at the 2016 NHL Awards.
"I haven't seen every game, but the thing that I saw is Lundqvist is a big difference every night," Therrien said.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=789841
New Henrik Lundqvist La Presse Article: "Henrik is not a simple hockey player"
NEW YORK - If Carey Price is seen as the body and soul of the Canadian, Henrik Lundqvist is also essential to the success of the New York Rangers. But that's where the comparisons between the two guards stop.
The first is of discrete nature. His contacts with the media seem increasingly reduced. The attention he receives as the star of a true Montreal institution, he would without.
The second chasing the spotlight. His personal website published an article recounting his best five appearances on the cover of a magazine; four magazines were not even sports publications! He played guitar on the show Jimmy Fallon and more recently, he stopped the pumpkin pies the famous host threw at him with a hockey stick.
Let's not imagine that Carey Price on the set of Éric Salvail doing antics with the facilitator.
If they sought equivalent, should instead turn to PK Subban. "It is important to clear his head. What better way than to build your own brand? "Said defender Canadiens.
THE ESSENCE OF NEW YORK
"Henrik is not a simple hockey player. This is a celebrity, "said John Rosasco, vice president of public relations Rangers, which must filter a" considerable "number of requests for his player.
Lundqvist is notably appeared on the cover of Gotham Magazine and a catalog of Bloomingdale's chain. Tag Heuer has teamed up with him to create a watch. Vanity Fair has appointed two consecutive years, among the best-dressed men. Head & Shoulders has chosen to play in a shampoo advertising in Sweden. He has his own restaurant in TriBeCa, a center of the New York elite.
His personal website presents the headings "Music", "Fashion" and "Crown Collection", his own clothing collection.
Gerald Eskenazi has just written the article about him in Gotham. This venerable journalist began covering the New York Rangers in 1964. He saw snow.
"It is quite ironic. When I started, the general manager and coach of the Rangers, Emile Francis was afraid of Manhattan, says Mr. Eskenazi. According to him, all players could be in Manhattan, it was getting into problems. So he asked the players to live in Long Beach, a remote suburb.
"Then, in the 70s, the owner wanted his players become more integrated in New York. The Rangers, at the time, had nothing in New York. They did not live in Manhattan, they were little Canadians who came from small towns. The owner wanted the players out in the bars around the arena!
"And then I met Henrik Lundqvist, who lives here, who walks with his children in the city, he is well in sight, he is well dressed. He intrigued me. "
When we asked Mr. Eskenazi how it compares Lundqvist on the ascendancy of the metropolis, it responds with names like Mark Messier, Rodrigue Gilbert or even Ron Duguay, another hunk that was in harmony with his adopted city . "But it is not transcended hockey," he recalls.
"Henrik embodies the essence of New York, says Eskenazi. Few athletes live in the island. We have several teams but they do not all play here. The Jets and Giants are in New Jersey. The Rangers players often live in Westchester [near the training center]. Henrik symbolizes the new generation. "
AT A GOOD PLACE
The hockey world has always been a bit chilly to athletes who "stand out". But with his performance on the ice, with its incredible 9 consecutive seasons of 30 wins (and he won 24 during the lockout season in 2013), Lundqvist ensures that its ambitions off the ice are not criticized .
"He's such a good person, it is easy to navigate and he's our best player, launches his head coach Alain Vigneault. He is the image of the New York Rangers.
"He has to spend some money on his clothes ... these are not second-hand business! Vigneault continues, laughing. But in his way of behaving, to walk from the hotel to the arena, to fly, it's as if he was going to work. And that's what I say to the players to dress as if they were at work. "
"I have never had a teammate like him. But even if there are several external projects, its concentration is first on hockey. "
- Derick Brassard
"My focus has always been on hockey, but when you live in New York, you have the chance to explore more things and I like it, says Lundqvist. I also like to get away from hockey, focus on something else. It helps me play better. It gives me energy when I get to the arena and I did not think hockey round the clock, seven days a week.
"Outside of the ice, my biggest project, are my children. I have two and it's been a change in recent years. But New York is a great city. You let yourself be inspired by many different things. "
Former Yankees Derek Jeter definitely comes top of the list when you think athletes who have transcended their sport in New York. Obviously, we must add the name of Lundqvist search.
"In New York, it's very hard for an athlete to stand out because of all the teams that play here, said Gerald Eskenazi. But when you succeed there, your voice is stronger. As Frank Sinatra sang, If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere. "
http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/8f95f833-36ee-44f8-bd36-53ef4ac2d07f%7C_0.html
http://plus.lapresse.ca/screens/8f95f833-36ee-44f8-bd36-53ef4ac2d07f%7C_0.html
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Will Never Dive in a Game
Lundqvist normally doesn't do interviews after games in which he does not play, but was certainly willing on Saturday to defend himself against Julien's comments, which were widely publicized Friday night.
"I'm not talking about him (Julien), but I thought (what he said) was kind of disrespectful," Lundqvist told the Daily News. "I took a really hard hit to the head. There are different angles where you can see the hit. I'm still sore today in the neck, head. For me, diving is not an option. It never has been and it never will be. So that's that."
Marchand's significant contact to Lundqvist's head at 7:59 of the third period was unmistakable, and Marchand's reputation as a dirty player who takes liberties cost him any benefit of the doubt long ago.
Julien had said of Lundqvist: "I know he does some acting on the side, but I don't think it needs to be on the ice." Marchand said that Lundqvist "must have gotten hit with a cement block" and "lightly gets touched and it looks like he got shot."
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/vigneault-rips-bruins-coach-acting-dig-lundqvist-article-1.2449215
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Henrik Lundqvist Wants to Play For Another 7 Years, Was Initially Extremely Uncomfortable With His Mustache
Henrik Lundqvist: Hockey is not forever
The world's best hockey goalkeeper, New Yorker and a well-known shampoo-face. We have met the "King Henke" in the dressing room in his home arena Madison Square Garden in New York to talk fashion, grooming, and of course hockey.
Martin Hansson met Henrik Lundqvist, New York.
Henrik Lundqvist is one of the world's best hockey players, and the New York Rangers large poster name. At the side of the ice, the Swedish star profile as Head & Shoulders face and a number of other projects - mainly the fronts he lingerie Bread & Boxers he also is a partner in.
- I like to be inspired by different things besides hockey - although it obviously is number one. I always liked different projects whether it is fashion, restaurants or music. To deliver on the ice, I feel I have to do other things to relax. I can not go around thinking about hockey 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, says Henrik Lundqvist
What does a day in New York really like?
- In my free time, I try to spend as much time as I can with the family, pick up and drop at nursery school, meet friends, relax and at the same time focus on myself, says Henke and adds:
- The idea is that I will be 60 matches in order to be fresh for the playoffs so there will be a lot of training and time with the New York Rangers däremellan.NHL said to be the world's toughest hockey league - how psychologically stressful it is to play at such a high level?
- The mental part is incredibly important to me and a great deal that can determine if it goes well or not in a match. The skull steering incredibly much how you focus and handle the press. You have to try to relax and find balance.
So how do you upload before a game?
- When I eat pasta and meat sauce, I have done for nearly ten years so there is nothing to change. It's easy to get in, and it comes to eating plenty of food at lunch, when to play the match in the evening.
How do you see the future?
- Hockey is not forever, I have five years on my contract but I hope to be able to play six or seven years. It depends a lot on your body and if I can deliver.
Why are you doing all of the advertising project on the side?
- First, to get the opportunity to see other worlds and meet the people who are fun to work with. But also because I think it's funny. I get the chance to work and be involved in the well-known brands such as Head & Shoulders and now ICA advertising.
You are often seen in the fashion context - how much do you like clothes?
- I have not been trendy for years! But I run a lot on the costume that I really like working in. Then I drive jeans and suede jackets. I like Ralph Lauren suits and even Tiger of Sweden. But my style tip is to find oneself and running on what you like.
Grooming Routines - How much do you care about your appearance?
- I run a mustache now, the first day I was a bit scared when I looked at myself, extremely uncomfortable, but it is growing in the double sense, me and my brother supports the Movember challenge. When you have that role I have to do what you can, so I do charity stuff to influence what I can. Feels like there has been more focus on health.
What is your relationship with Head & Shoulders out?
- It's been incredibly enjoyable, we've been at it for four years now and has recorded videos that I really been involved from the beginning in and decided layup. It is fun.
What are you most proud of in your career?
- A couple of things when I think back, of course, to win national guilders home, Olympic gold but also to get here to New York and then establish themselves. It has been my dream. It is when you achieve their dreams one feels satisfaction and constantly looking for the next step. My big dream is to win the Stanley Cup in New York.
How do you push yourself on from season to season?
- I think it's just as fun still and see all the time how other hockey players play. It is clear that measuring themselves against others. NHL is the best league in the world so it's important to keep up with progress. But it's all about having fun, both on the ice at the side of the ice and feel comfortable with this lifestyle.
What do you feel that you have sacrificed your career?
- When I was younger, between 15-19 when many younger were out partying, so I focused on training and getting better. There were many times I opted out of fun things because I put hockey in the first place. I am glad that I was so focused when I was younger. My goal was to get here.
Are you living your boyhood dream now?
- I think, I enjoy hockey and life on the side. I have been lucky that ended up here and they chose me. I am grateful that I got a chance.
http://www.metro.se/noje/henrik-lundqvist-hockeyn-ar-inte-for-evigt/EVHokx!GjW3qq34K04rw/
Relaxed Henrik Lundqvist Now Smiles During Games
For those seeking clarity regarding a Rangers’ team whose record is a whole lot better looking in the black-and-white of newsprint or website font than the team has been in blue, white and red on the ice, it could not be more crystal clear than this:
With Henrik Lundqvist on a mission — as he has been since reporting to camp after having been challenged by his head coach to be at his best from the get-go — all things are possible.
The Blueshirts are 16-3-2 following Monday’s 3-0 Garden victory over the Predators in a game that provided a microcosm of a season, through which they bend but do not break because the King simply refuses to allow it.
“I’m more relaxed this year,” Lundqvist said after boosting his league-leading save percentage to .946 with a 31-save performance. “I’ve always been so intense, but I’ve taken it down a notch.
“I’m very focused on the process.”
The shots for the first period were 14-3, Predators. The attempts were 35-12 after the Rangers — who have the worst man-advantage to man-disadvantage discrepancy in the NHL — played short-handed for 7:21 of the final 8:53. The shots after two periods were 25-7, Predators, and the attempts 62-21 after Nashville owned a 10:00-0:00 advantage in power-play minutes.
And yet, it was 1-0 Rangers, after Rick Nash scored his fourth goal in two games at 4:32. Of course it was. Who needs possession time? Who needs to put shots on net? Apparently not the Rangers, who, even when they do have the puck, operate under a philosophy of not shooting until they can see the whites of the goalie’s eyes.
“I don’t expect the team to play a perfect game,” said Lundqvist, he of the 1.74 goals-against average. “As a goalie, you need to be there for the team.
“As long as I take care of my part, I know they’re going to get going.”
Lundqvist’s part included a bevy of stops around the net on those Nashville tries that did get through a Rangers team that flashed back to 2011-12 by blocking 11 shots in both the first and second periods before finishing with a total of 26, Kevin Klein leading the way with six while Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh had four apiece.
“For them to pay the price, I have a lot of respect for that,” Lundqvist said. “I think the guys, when they see that, it gives the bench energy.
“As a goalie, it gives [me] a lot of energy.”
There was some good fortune as well, specifically when Filip Forsberg missed the net with Lundqvist unsuccessfully scrambling to get back after losing a race for the puck to James Neal in the right circle.
“When I took the first step, it seemed like a good idea,” Lundqvist said, laughing a winner’s laugh after being primarily responsible for extending Nashville’s franchise-record scoreless streak to 213:47.
But laughter has been part of the process for Lundqvist this season. The “real” King of Sweden, Carl XVI Gustaf, may recently have called for a ban on baths in his country, but the King of New York hockey is bathing in his new approach to the game.
“It’s a lot about trusting my instincts and challenging a little more,” said Lundqvist, who notably came out to cut down the angle on a Ryan Ellis blast from the left circle at 12:45 during the Predators’ first power play. “We [he and goaltending coach Benoit Allaire] talked about that a lot.
“It’s just more focus. I’m even smiling during games. I never did that in nine years. Smiling is good.”
So the Rangers keep on rolling, even if there are times it seems as if the puck is a boulder rolling down a hill against them. All along, it has been a chicken-and-egg thing for the Rangers, and no, no one is calling them a bunch of ’fraidy cats.
Specifically, as the old-as-time, which-came-first applies to the Blueshirts, it is whether the club would play a better overall brand of hockey and continue to win or whether they would continue to play flawed hockey but start to lose.
The answer provided last night was neither.
“I’d rather find a way to win than play perfect,” said Lundqvist, who merely found the way to do both on Monday.
http://nypost.com/2015/11/23/relaxed-henrik-lundqvist-simply-will-not-let-rangers-lose/
Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview; Records 57th Career Shutout
Henrik Lundqvist earned his 300th regulation win - he and Mike Richter are the only Rangers’ goalies to reach that milestone - and, with 351 career victories overall, Lundqvist tied Hall of Famer Terry Sawchuk for the third-most wins a goaltender has recorded with one franchise in NHL history.
Monday, November 23, 2015
The Secret to Henrik Lundqvist's New Skates and Are They Contributing to his Success?
TAMPA. Henrik Lundqvist is easier on the feet this year and more focused. Then he leads the New York Rangers to the best NHL start in the club's 89-year history.
One explanation is his new secret skates.
Henrik Lundqvist's blockbusters in the back of the New York Rangers laid the foundation for the team's success in recent years, it has taught us.
But as good as the Swede started this season, he has never done before. And winners has travats on each other.
Admittedly stopped victory of the suite the night of Friday in Amalie Arena in Tampa, but Rangers have shown that the team has a game that can carry very far this year.
Henrik Lundqvist would try to be better already in the beginning was a decision he and coach Alain Vigneault agreed when they separated after the loss against the right Tampa in spring Stanley Cup semifinals.
How have you changed preseason workouts to be in this brilliant form directly?
- I have not changed so much in training, but it is more about greater focus on the mental part. I have prepared myself thoroughly, played less games in the preseason and bet on good training and outs of the game, says Henrik, when DN meet him after the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- But much of the game is about to feel comfortable. The physical, technical and mental, everything should be right. All that has felt good now when I added more focus to be on your toes directly.
The results have come. Not only in victories for the team but in the personal statistics for Henrik, where he already had several club records.
No one has won more victories than his ten and rescue percentage is 94.6 in the 15 games he stood. It is insanely good.
One detail that talk of his new skates. A secret with them is that the plastic strip that sat on the skodelens inside of the skate is removed.
Henry explains why:
- It allows me to get a better grip of the ice sideways movements. They are also lighter and slimmer.
But they have apparently helped?
- It has well been enlarged up, but at this level playing every detail role. It's about how you exercise, rest and focus. The equipment is also part of it. I feel that I am faster in the feet this year.
There has hardly been a quarter of the season, and so far everything has gone well. But there are not awarded any Stanley Cup dents in November, so how do you maintain the shape of May and June?
- That is correct. This is not a sprint. It's a marathon, emphasizes Henrik and continues:
- You can not see too far ahead simply. I take one match at a time and try to enjoy the journey. It is much games, but I think it's fun to play.
Victory suite of nine straight came during a relatively quiet period.
- We are entering an intense period now with much matches. It is now the case to be ready.
Two debates in North America, affecting especially goalkeepers. Målfabrikationen has decreased, and when there is talk of making the targets more and goalies' protection less.
What do you think about it?
- It is difficult. Show me the guards first. We are now at a point where the game is fast and they shoot extremely hard. We begin to get into the safety, I am not so positive.
- It may not be too much focus on the goalkeeper either. It applies to the whole team. If you want to watch good hockey, it is important to have good intensity and scoring opportunities. Goalkeeper game has also progressed tremendously just since I came here ten years ago. The level at all is extremely high, plus all much larger.
Bigger goals then?
- Sad to change something that looked the same all the time. I think that's a shame.
The other snack ice is three against three in the All-Star game.
- I think it's great that they replace. They want to make it something special for the fans. The whole week is fun, so why not, says Henrik Lundqvist
http://www.dn.se/sport/ishockey/nya-skridskor-bakom-henrik-lundqvists-storspel/
And:
PHILADELPHIA — As Henrik (Mars) Lundqvist said: “It’s the skates. The skates? It’s got to be the skates.”
Well, no, the Rangers’ goaltender did not quite say that when asked if he could explain the volume of acrobatic circus saves he has made while flying through the air these first two-plus weeks of the season, but he did come close.
For as previously reported by The Post, Lundqvist is wearing a new fashion of Bauer goaltenders’ skates this year, ones without the toe cap that allow him to dig in his blades at a sharper angle into the ice so he can both better close off the low five-hole while getting a better push when needed.
“The way I can move in my new skates and new pads has definitely helped my game,” The King told The Post before Saturday’s 3-2 shootout loss to the Flyers on Saturday night. “Maybe it’s a small point, but what can I say? I really like the new skates.
“I feel that I’m lighter on my feet. I feel I’ve moved better around the net. It’s been easier for me to recover.”
Lundqvist has turned in a handful of exclamation-point worthy stops on which he has simply launched himself across the crease to make full extension saves on point-blank tries into what had appeared to be empty nets.
There was the lunging stop on Anthony Duclair late in Thursday’s 4-1 victory over the Coyotes, when Lundqvist scrambled back from the end boards for a full extension stop after losing the puck to Max Domi before the Coyotes’ winger fed the Duke in the low left circle.
But that one had nothing on the diving, must-have-been-an-optical-illusion-of-a-stop he had made on Ryan Johansen in the Oct. 10 Garden-opening 5-2 victory over the Jackets, when Lundqvist soared through the air after a ricochet off the backboards had set up Columbus’ best player with a wide open net.
“You know, I don’t want to make a big deal about the skates because obviously there’s more to it than that,” he said. “And I have to say that there’s a lot of luck involved on saves like that. You don’t plan saves like that.
“But when you’re caught out of position like that, the key is not to panic. Maybe you have to make a move that doesn’t seem logical, but it’s important that you don’t lose your head and start scrambling too early.”
There are, by the way, no points awarded for degree of difficulty on the most acrobatic of stops. No three-point plays.
“The biggest thing on those kinds of saves really comes down to compete level,” Lundqvist said. “It’s about maintaining your focus.
“When you make saves like that, it’s a good reminder never to give up.”