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It is one of life’s eternal mysteries, like which came first, the chicken crossing the road or the egg hatching?
In this case, as it applies to the Rangers, it is this: Are the Rangers playing better hockey because Henrik Lundqvist is elevating his game or is the Swede the beneficiary of his team’s improved structure throughout the current five-game winning streak that is equally as surprising as the 1-5-2 start?
And though any goaltender naturally benefits from improved play in front of him, I think the Rangers’ success can be linked directly to Lundqvist’s play.
As it has been since early in Lundqvist’s rookie 2005-06 season, the Rangers are not only as good as the stopper behind them, their confidence and identity flow from the King’s performance and persona on the ice.
When Lundqvist is surrendering marginal/soft goals and is fighting it, as he was for the most part through the second period of the Oct. 31 match against the Golden Knights that seems to be dividing point between the Dreadful Rangers and the Hopeful Ones, his body language is bad enough that it can be contagious.
But when the King is stout, when he is the difference as he was over the final 20 minutes of Tuesday’s empty-net 4-2 win over the Bruins in which the B’s crashed the net relentlessly, his confidence infuses his team with a swagger of its own.
The overall numbers still are not good enough. After finishing with a save percentage below the NHL average for the first time in his career last year (.910/.913), Lundqvist is back under this season (.903/.909), though it is still early enough that his stats are skewed by that first period in Toronto on Oct. 7 in which he allowed five goals on 17 shots before being pulled.
Indeed, Lundqvist’s save percentage improves to .912 when subtracting that performance. And his number vaults to .925 over the last four games and the third period against Vegas that immediately followed an emotional intermission in which Lundqvist and several teammates spoke of the greater meaning of those upcoming 20 minutes in the context of the deadly terrorist attack that had taken place a few hours earlier in Manhattan.
Lundqvist has improved immeasurably around the net over the last week. He has had better rebound control and has been in better position to make second and third stops when called upon. He was aggressive in cutting down angles against the Bruins. He was quick and his competition level remained unassailable.
“I think we help each other right now where I try to give [the team] confidence and they help me play my game,” said the King, who is expected to make his 15th start in 18 games when the Oilers visit the Garden on Saturday afternoon. “I can focus a lot on the shooter and be more aggressive when I feel like we’re in the right place.
“That’s our job, to help each other raise our level. It’s something we needed to do and I feel like the last week and a half we’re moving in the right direction.”
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Even as Lundqvist moves in the right direction, his game does remain imperfect. The late third period short-side tying goal from the right circle by the Panthers’ Vincent Trocheck? Eh. The Blue Jackets’ Josh Anderson’s far-side goal from the right circle on Monday? Eh.
And Lundqvist’s puck-handling, never a particular strength, has somehow deteriorated and is now a significant flaw that opponents are exploiting on a fairly regular basis. Perhaps the goaltender — who has worked on this — is better off remaining in net rather than coming out and attempting to move it out of harm’s way. Even simple laterals can cause trouble, as did one on which the Bruins pounced approximately 6:30 into a quiet first period Wednesday to create a couple of prime opportunities.
But the King is in a far better place than he was 11 days ago. He has gotten his game going and so, not coincidentally, have the Rangers. ‘Twas ever thus.
Coach Alain Vigneault’s maneuvering through the third period in which fourth-line center Paul Carey received just one brief shift cost Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich some time. For while Vigneault moved first-line center Mika Zibanejad between Michael Grabner and Jesper Fast for a handful of shifts while protecting the club’s 3-2 lead, Kreider (12:23 total) and Buchnevich (12:56) got on only twice over the final 8:38.