Hartnett: To All The Doubters, Lundqvist Is Indeed In Playoff Form

By Sean Hartnett
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Henrik Lundqvist remains in a class by himself when it comes to clutch netminding.

The NHL-leading Washington Capitals threw the kitchen sink at the Rangers in the third period on Sunday afternoon and the all-world Swedish goaltender did not crack under pressure.

Lundqvist saved all 11 shots he faced over the final 20 minutes to secure a hard-fought 2-1 victory. The Caps, who are now 39-12-7, provided a true litmus test for a Rangers team that desires to go on to great things.

The bottom line is you can't win the Stanley Cup without outstanding goaltending and Lundqvist looks every bit in playoff form with 24 regular season games remaining.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old has put early season struggles far in his rearview mirror. Over his last 12 appearances, Lundqvist is 9-2 with a 2.01 goals-against average, a .937 save percentage and one shutout. He probably would have added another shutout Sunday to his career total of 61 had it not been for Alex Ovechkin's strange, fluttering shot during a second-period power play. The shot grazed Rangers defenseman Nick Holden's stick and began to knuckle. Lundqvist was locked in and had the puck tracked, but a sudden change in direction deceived him.

It seems the more pressure opponents put on Lundqvist, the better he performs. He is a 13-1 with a 1.84 GAA and a .949 save percentage in the 14 games in which he has made at least 30 saves this season. Lundqvist made 31 stops on Sunday.

After the Rangers got off to a flying start by outshooting Washington 19-10 on their way to a 1-0 lead by the end of the first period, things changed dramatically. It became a gutsy, grind-it-out kind of game, as the Caps went on to a 22-11 shots advantage over the final 40 minutes.

"They had that 10 minutes there where they were kind of controlling the game," Rangers center Kevin Hayes said. "The puck was in our zone the whole time, (but) I don't think they got too many Grade-A looks. We were packing the house and Hankie played great again."

Lundqvist made a difficult second-period, side-to-side save with his right pad on a cutting Tom Wilson. Then in the third period, he made a tough glove save on John Carlson, who was left unmanned near the right face-off dot, before pulling off a double-stop in the game's final seconds on Marcus Johansson, sealing the victory.

The biggest change in Lundqvist's game has been his aggressiveness. You're seeing a goalie who is flowing with confidence right now. He has been challenging shooters to beat him, and, for the most part, they've been unsuccessful.

"I think the last few weeks I changed a couple things -- the way I focus and my approach to the game," Lundqvist said. "I try to be a little more aggressive and it's paid off. It's not a big difference, but it's small things here and there you try to adjust to the game a little bit. I started to feel pretty good. Also, the way we're playing in front of me is helping me. When we do give up chances I still feel like we're in pretty good position to get to rebounds and stuff like that."

The Rangers have been playing with better structure of late and they haven't been obstructing Lundqvist's line of sight. There has also been good communication between Lundqvist and his defensemen. They know when to move out of the way and are allowing him to see plays unfold. When Lundqvist has been able to read and react, he has been extremely difficult to beat.

"In the third period, they had the puck quite a bit," alternate captain Marc Staal said. "I think if we are not giving those Grade-A looks right in the slot, or with guys in front of him, he's going to see them and he's going to save most of those. Just being accountable in our own end, a lot of talk, getting sticks, moving guys out of the way, and listening to him."

What you're seeing now is Lundqvist in full command of his crease. This team's confidence flows outward through its No. 1 goaltender. Lundqvist is playing with a renewed swagger and ordering his defensemen around like a drill sergeant.

And when he's operating like that, there's no one you'd rather have as the last line of defense.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey