The King Rules All Goalies

Dan Blackburn, the next great Ranger netminder, had nerve damage in his shoulder and Mike Dunham was, well, Mike Dunham, a mediocre goalie at best.

It was enough of a concern for the Blueshirts to burn their No. 6 overall pick in the 2004 draft on Al Montoya.

All of that changed after the lockout, when New York gave the world maybe the best Swedish import since the Bikini Team by bringing Henrik Lundqvist over. A low, seventh round choice in the 2000 draft [205th overall], the Rangers thought they may have something special, but really didn’t know if Lundqvist's butterfly style would translate into the NHL game.

Obviously, over the past two seasons, the question was answered. Yet now, after a sizzling start, the 25 year-old has become the best in the game.

"I don't know if he's the best in the league," said coach Tom Renney. "For me, he's our guy, so I am going to suggest he's the best in the league. Under the circumstances of what we are going through, I can defend that thought. All the things he delivers are in spades."

"We have to stay the course and play the same game," said Lundqvist. "If you look at scoring chances, I think that's down. I feel much more focused. I feel like I was the second half of last year. At the beginning of last year, the game was different. It took some time to get my game going, but I learned from it. I didn't play that well at the start last year, so this year, I was focused on my game. It was important for me this year. But I think the biggest thing is team confidence."

Although Renney adapted a trapping style, which resembles the Devils in the hey-day, Lundqvist’s play has stopped mostly all the mistakes the team makes. His 1.69 G.A.A with a .940 save percentage is outstanding and far ahead of any goaltender who played in 15 or more games.

This is now surprise, though, if you followed Lundqvist's career from the beginning. Like any superstar, he showed flashes of that brilliance his rookie season, yet made the mistakes a freshman would make. He went through a major slump his second season, but came out of it a better player and learned from his mistakes. And now in Year 3, the netminder took the next step to stardom.

"He's an experienced NHL goaltender right now and his preparation is excellent," Renney said. "He's one of those guys you leave alone. On game days, everybody stays out of his way; his is so focused and so prepared. It helps to start with. Beyond that he's a fiery competitor. He compassionate about the game and I think guys like that it compliments them."

Despite his coach's outlook, Lundqvist feels he could get better.

"I am still learning and I recognize different players and different positions in the game," he said. "It's important to be in the right spot every point during the game."

Much like Brodeur, Lundqvist has a chance to be this good for a very long time. He never takes a bad goal with him on the next shift and yesterday's loss doesn't bother today's game. That cool customer attitude also translates well when playing in New York – although the Garden faithful loves him – and he can withstand even the most hostile of environments, like Philly and Long Island.

And that's why, no matter how many star forwards the Rangers bring in, their success in the playoffs will begin and end with The King.

But Lundqvist doesn't need a Stanley Cup to be the best. Right now, he is the best goalie in the NHL.
 

Joe McDonald covers the New York Rangers for TheFourthPeriod.com. He is also the publisher of NYSportsDay.com and managing editor of NY Sportscene Magazine.