Every once in a while, Henrik Lundqvist can remind you that he is not from this place. It was such a time Sunday following the Blueshirts’ pre-Winter Classic practice at Citi Field when the netminder wore a look of confusion on his face when asked if he’d gotten in any BP in the indoor cages like many of his teammates.
“BP?” the Swede asked.
“Batting practice.”
“Oh, no,” Lundqvist said, smiling. “Maybe I’ll do some [Monday] to get warmed up.”
The league’s celebration of the game’s roots — because all these guys grew up skating on outdoor rinks placed strategically in the middle of baseball or football stadia — has come to Queens for the first time, with the Rangers staking claim to the Mets’ clubhouse and batting cages even though the opposing Sabres are the designated home team. Paul Carey, by the way, occupied the locker of honor that is home to David Wright.
“Probably my best warm-up all year,” East Palestine, Ohio native J.T. Miller said of taking his cuts, before paying a compliment to goaltending coach Benoit Allaire. “Benny has a hell of an arm.”
The Rangers have won all three of their previous regular-season forays into the outdoors, defeating the Flyers in the 2012 Winter Classic at the Phillies ballpark on Lundqvist’s last-minute penalty-shot save on Daniel Briere before sweeping the Devils and Islanders within three days at Yankee Stadium in late January 2014.
“I think the experience helps a little bit,” said Lundqvist, who has a 2.00 goals against average and .929 save percentage outdoors. “You know what to expect, there are less distractions. There’s a lot of stuff going on. [Knowing that] helps you stay in the moment.”
Lundqvist, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal are the only Rangers to have played in all three of their outdoor contests, with McDonagh having played in another one while at the University of Wisconsin. Miller, Pavel Buchnevich, Jimmy Vesey and Ondrej Pavelec are the only active Blueshirts not to have played in one of these either at the NHL or collegiate level.
“I was sent down a couple of weeks before the games at the Stadium,” Miller said. “My backyard outdoor rink was 18×30.”
The weather, frigid for practice, is expected to be no different for the scheduled 1 p.m. puck drop. Fans are advised to dress appropriately, in layers.
“I remember in my youth going out with friends and family,” said coach Alain Vigneault, who grew up in the Hull-Gatineau area of Quebec. “But I don’t remember it being this cold.”
Two points go to the winner, just like in every other regular-season game. But this one is different in just about every way. Vigneault’s mantra is that there is no road way or home way to play, just the right way, but now the Rangers will be required to play the outdoor way.
“You want to be sure,” Miller said. “The wind is the only thing that will make it feel different but other than that the conditions should be perfect.”
Kevin Shattenkirk played in the event last year for the Blues at Busch Stadium. That was only home as a hockey player. This is home as an individual, a 40-minute drive (in moderate traffic) from his boyhood home in New Rochelle that he would make during summers to see the Mets at Shea.
“For this event to fall into place while I’m here, that’s not something I’m taking for granted,” Shattenkirk said. “Being able to play at home has been everything that I’ve dreamed of. This is another fortunate thing that’s happened to me.”
Coming off a shootout loss in Detroit on Friday, the Rangers are 4-1-2 in their last seven and 4-3-2 over their last nine games. The Sabres, who defeated the Devils in New Jersey on Friday, are 2-1-1 in their last four. You could, though, throw out the records for this kind of a stand-alone event.
“I’m super happy. I feel really lucky to get the opportunity,” Lundqvist said. “But it’s hard to look back at any game if you don’t win.
“If it’s playoffs, Olympics or outdoor games, if you don’t win the game, you don’t look back with a smile on your face. But if you have a good game and you win, it’s easier to go there mentally.”