Henrik Lundqvist: Rangers' Saving Grace

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Henrik Lundqvist's goaltending was so magical in the Rangers' 5-2 win over the rival Islanders on Thursday night, his head coach John Tortorella limited his post-game press conference to just one feeble use of the word "crap."

Lundqvist's play has that kind of calming effect.

This is the thing with hockey. Your team can be in a major slump. The coach can be cursing in front of the cameras. Big changes can be threatened, a few veterans benched. The sky can be falling, but all it takes is one heroic performance from your netminder to change the outlook.

A hockey team's backwards momentum is only as devastating as the next night's starting goaltender.

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In this case, the goalie was Lundqvist. Clutch offensive efforts from wingers Ryan Callahan (four points) and Marian Gaborik (three) aside, the Rangers won this 'must' game at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday night because of their all-star, perennial Vezina Trophy nominee goaltender.

"Had there been another goalie in net, we might have won, 6-5."
-- Isles Coach Scott Gordon on Lundqvist's Performance in the Rangers' 5-2 win"Had there been another goalie in net," said Islanders coach Scott Gordon, a former goalie who appreciates a star turn between the pipes, "we might have won, 6-5."

The 27-year-old Lundqvist was sensational from beginning to end, stopping 35 of 37 shots, but his true saving of his spiraling team took place in the first period when the Islanders out-shot the Rangers 14-4. At least a half-dozen of his stops were of the highlight-reel variety, none more so than his robbery of Rob Schremp just three minutes into the game. On the other end of the rink, the Rangers cashed in a pair of mistakes by the Islanders to take a 2-0 lead.

"I don't know how we had a 2-0 lead in the first," said Lundqvist, "but we did."

His team knew how.

"Hank's our backbone," said Callahan. "The saves he made early on were the difference."

"What else can you say about the guy?" said captain Chris Drury. "Hank's there for us all the time with big games like this one."

Tortorella treats Lundqvist's one-man shows like they are mandatory. "Hank was the most important guy for us," said the coach, "and that's what he has to be."

That may seem like a ton of pressure to put on one player, even a goaltender, on a big-market, Original Six franchise with a capped-out roster, but Tortorella speaks the truth. The Rangers are a mediocre 15-16-3 and in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. The coach says they still "have to start becoming a team." And many well-paid veterans -- Wade Redden, Chris Drury, Michal Rozsival, even wonder pest Sean Avery -- have been performing like half the players they used to be.

So on Friday, Lundqvist will go back to work with goalie coach Benoit Allaire and prepare for a Saturday afternoon matchup in Philadelphia. "Lots of video," Allaire said after the game.

Video of what? Lundqvist was just as good on Wednesday at the Garden in a 2-1 loss to the Islanders as he was in beating them on Thursday. What is there possibly to go over?

"There's always something," said Allaire. "This is what makes Henrik great. He insists on the video. He never stops working. He wants to be the best."

Said Allaire's student, "I'm prepared for every game. I want to be here when we turn this around."

Lundqvist need not worry about that. Without him, the Rangers have no chance.