Lundqvist on the loss

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"I am not going to dissect it here, he just needed to come out,” Tortorella said of his decision to pull Lundqvist. “We didn’t play well enough to win. We have another game to play tomorrow and we need to be better from our goaltending on out.”

Lundqvist allowed three goals on 16 shots before being replaced by Auld, who had not appeared in a game since March 10 in New Jersey. A distraught Lundqvist, who received encouraging slaps to the shoulder pads from Tortorella upon reaching the bench, sat for several minutes with his facemask still covering his face. Eventually he lifted the mask up and let it remain perched atop his head.

“I was surprised, but at the same time it’s up to John,” Lundqvist said. “I just have to deal with it. I wanted to play, but it’s his call.”

http://rangers.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2009021182&navid=DL|NYR|home

Rangers slide in playoff chase with 5-2 loss to Sabres; Lundqvist pulled

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BUFFALO – Despite John Tortorella’s repeated assertions that Henrik Lundqvist would be the reason the Rangers make the playoffs, the coach yanked his franchise goalie from a loss that may have sealed their postseason exclusion.

The Rangers, ending a season-high six-game road trip, had their three-game winning streak snapped in a 5-2 loss to the Sabres Tuesday night at the HSBC Arena. Lundqvist was pulled for the fifth time this season after the Sabres took a 3-2 lead at 5:17 of the second period.

The game did mark the return of Ryan Callahan to the lineup after he missed four games with an injured left knee. But the loss kept the Rangers (36-33-10) three points behind the eighth-place Bruins with three games remaining.

The ninth-place Rangers host the Maple Leafs tonight and another regulation loss would mean they can’t Philadelphia even though they end the season with a home-and-home series with the Flyers Friday and Sunday. The Flyers won in Toronto Tuesday.

The Rangers have not missed the postseason since 2004.

Meanwhile, the Sabres (44-25-10) clinched the Northeast, their first division title in three seasons. Ryan Miller stopped 29 shots, none better than when he slid to his left and somehow deflected Marian Gaborik’s shot into the netting with his stick after Brandon Dubinsky fed him going to the crease on a two-on-one. Miller also drew a roughing call at 17:30 of the third period after he scuffled with Jody Shelley.

Lundqvist, playing in his 70th game and making his 14th straight start and 22nd in the last 23 games, was removed after allowing Jochen Hecht to beat him to the far post with a shot that stayed lowed to the ice through traffic. Lundqvist faced 16 shots.

Alex Auld, who made his third appearance since being claimed on re-entry waivers from the Stars and his first since relieving Lundqvist in a 6-3 loss to the Devils on March 10, gave up two goals on 12 shots.

Toni Lydman beat Auld from the high slot at 13:22 of the second period to and Tyler Ennis made it 5-2 at 2:06 of the third period.

Still, a season that started with Tortorella saying he wanted to rest Lundqvist more, will end with the goalie reaching 70 games played for the fourth straight time and likely topping his career high of 72, which he played in 2007-08.

“I love to play, I don’t mind it now,” Lundqvist said. “I don’t feel tired. I just feel excited.”

Lundqvist’s play certainly has been one reason why the Rangers were able to re-enter the playoff race after being seven points out on March 23. Another is that the Rangers have been better about forgetting the wins as well as the losses.

And that will be key tonight.

“Especially of late, it’s been one of our biggest strengths,” Tortorella said. “I think our guys have handled themselves very well and put themselves in a good attitude no matter what they’ve gone through. I really appreciate the way they’ve been fighting.”

Callahan announced his return at 12:56 of the first period as his hard – but clean – check of 6-foot-8 Sabres rookie defenseman Tyler Myers into the corner boards caused both Lydman and Derek Roy to gang up on Callahan at the crease. Roy wound up with a cross-checking minor while Callahan was called for roughing.

Roy had tied the game at 1-1 with a power-play goal at 9:57 of the first period after gritty right wing Brandon Prust extended his career-high goal-scoring streak to three games at 6:57 as he took the puck away from Chris Butler in the slot.

P.A. Parenteau then brought the Rangers into a 2-2 tie as he stuffed in a power-play goal at 18:18 after Dan Girardi’s shot from the blue line trickled through Miller.

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/pro_sports/040610_Rangers_slide_in_playoff_chase_with_5-2_loss_to_Sabres.html

Lundqvist robs Tyler Ennis 4/6/10

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Henrik and Voros enjoy candlelight dinner in Buffalo

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Henrik and Aaron Voros enjoyed a candlelit dinner at "Mothers" Italian Restaurant in Buffalo,N.Y. From what I can tell, it looks like Henrik is eating chicken and vegetables? But I could be wrong. It looks like Voros had pasta.


The photo is courtesy of Aaron Voros' Twitter account. Nice baby blue tie, Henrik. (It's the same tie he had on one of the times I've met him.)

Lundqvist going the distance for Rangers

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SUNRISE — Following practice Thursday morning in Tampa, a visitor moseyed over to the locker room area in which Henrik Lundqvist and Alex Auld dressed.
"Hello goalies," the visitor said.
"Thanks for including me in that," Auld quickly responded.
Well, at least someone does.
It’s all Lundqvist all the time for the Rangers now, with head coach John Tortorella announcing at his pre-game briefing that the King would be in net for his 13th straight start and 21st in the last 22 games for tonight’s match here against the Panthers.
Asked if he had considered using Auld following last night’s 5-0 shutout of the Lightning in Tampa in which Lundqvist made 30 saves after being staked to an early 4-0 lead, Tortorella replied, "Why would I?"

With four games remaining following tonight’s match, it appears as if Tortorella will attempt to run the table with the King. If Lundqvist does start every game the rest of the way, he will finish will 72 starts, matching his career high from 2007-08.
Auld, who was acquired on re-entry waivers from Dallas during the Olympic recess, has started one game for the Blueshirts, a 2-0 defeat in Washington on March 6.
It is, of course, risky to go with the backup in a playoff race, as Boston coach Claude Julien can attest. Monday, the Bruins went with Tim Thomas rather than Tuukka Rask against Buffalo. Three goals later, including a pair of softies, Thomas was pulled on the short end of a 3-0 score. The Bruins lost 3-2.
The Rangers, 4-0-1 in their last five, will enter tonight’s game in 10th place, one point behind the Thrashers, 4-3 overtime losers to Pittsburgh this afternoon. Atlanta has three games remaining. The Rangers are two points behind the eighth-place Flyers and seventh-place Bruins. Boston is at Toronto tonight.


Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/rangers/lundqvist_going_the_distance_for_rt0oW8zSKTzvkRX78HF0SJ#ixzz0k5DjPADK

Henrik on the cover of Cafe Magazine

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"We followed with monthly cover boy at home in New York and questioned him about everything from an Olympic flop to lyxvanorna that comes from earning one million a week."

Henrik is on the cover of the April 2010 issue of a Swedish magazine called Cafe. I can't seem to find the article online, so I would really appreciate it if any readers from Sweden can send me the article somehow, if not, I will try to make my way to Universal News here in NYC and see if they have a copy.

UPDATE: Today I went to Universal News and it seems that the only international magazines they sell are Italian, Spanish, French and German. If anyone knows where I can locate a Swedish magazine in NYC, please let me know. Thanks.

Post-game notes: Lundqvist Ties Richter in Shutouts

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Henrik Lundqvist turned aside all 30 shots he faced to register his fourth shutout of the season, and improve to 32-26-9 overall with a 17-10-3 mark on the road this season. It was the 24th career shutout for Lundqvist, moving him into a tie with Mike Richter, Lorne Worsley and Chuck Rayner for fourth on the Rangers all-time shutouts list. Lundqvist has now posted a record of 4-0-1 in the last five games, registering a 1.76 goals against average with a .942 save percentage and two shutouts over the span.

Lundqvist on the Shutout

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The Rangers, who scored four goals in the first period on Friday and received a spotless 30-save performance from goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, are also only two points back of the seventh-place Boston Bruins and four behind sixth-place Montreal.

“I think we played a simple road game,” Lundqvist said. “But now it’s very important that we just stay focused on what we have to do and not the end result of having to make the playoffs. We have to keep breaking it down to every game, every period, every shift.”

Lundqvist was forced to earn his keep later in the period, however. When the Lightning finally produced sustained pressure in the Rangers’ end, Lundqvist was there to keep the home team off of the scoreboard.

At 12:35 of the second Lundqvist stoned Brandon Bochenski from point-blank range and then followed with a sensational glove save on Mattias Ohlund’s rebound try. Following the ensuing faceoff, Lundqvist stuffed Nate Thompson who was alone in front.

Later in the second period, Lundqvist denied Martin St. Louis on a 2-on-1 shorthanded rush with Vincent Lecavalier.

The shutout was Lundqvist’s fourth of the season and 24th of his NHL career.

http://rangers.nhl.com/club/recap.htm?id=2009021159&navid=DL|NYR|home

Lundqvist records fourth shutout as Rangers roll Lightning

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TAMPA, Fla. -- Brandon Prust started New York's four-goal first period, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 29 shots for his fourth shutout of the season as the Rangers routed the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-0 on Friday night.

The Rangers moved ahead of Atlanta and into ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Philadelphia and Boston at the postseason cutoff. New York has five games remaining, the same amount as Boston and one more than Philadelphia.

Prust scored 3:09 in, Marc Staal doubled the lead 25 seconds later, Vinny Prospal added a goal, and Brandon Dubinsky pushed the lead to 4-0 with a power-play tally before 15 minutes had elapsed. Aaron Voros finished the scoring late in the third period.

The Rangers have gone 4-0-1 in their past five to get back into the thick of the playoff race.

Prust started the onslaught with his third goal of the season, beating goalie Mike Smith between the pads. Staal made it 2-0 with his seventh, scoring at 3:34.

Prospal added his 19th goal when his pass through the crease deflected in off the skate of Lightning defenseman Vladimir Mihalik. The Rangers benefited from another fortunate bounce when Dubinsky's shot deflected through Smith and caromed in off Kurtis Foster's skate.

Smith, who made just three saves on seven shots, was replaced at the start of the second period by Antero Niittymaki.

The Lightning had chances to cut into their deficit when they had a long 5-on-3 advantage early in the second. However, the Rangers limited Tampa Bay to just one shot and killed off the penalties to Jody Shelley (holding) and Dubinsky (delay of game). The Lightning were 0-for-4 overall on power plays.

Niittymaki made 14 saves in his two periods of action.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/gamecenter/recap/NHL_20100402_NYR@TB/lundqvist-records-fourth-shoutout-as-rangers-roll-lightning/rss

John Tortorella on Henrik Lundqvist: "We're going to get in because of him"

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"He's the least of our worries," said Tortorella."He was (ticked). I just love his fire, I love his fire. I wish - ... "He took it out on some equipment along the way after that game, and on a number of things in the locker room, which I love. I have no worries about him; he is such a competitor."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/2010/03/30/2010-03-30_torts_hank_will_lead_way.html#ixzz0jzJlBR3R