CALGARY — Henrik Lundqvist has been scratched from his scheduled start here tonight against the Flames.
Head coach John Tortorella, who on Friday named The King as his goaltender, claimed he was simply, “giving Hank rest,” but the goaltender received extensive treatment in the medical room following the morning skate.
It is believed that Lundqvist is nursing a lower body injury; perhaps a sore groin.
Steve Valiquette, who defeated the Oilers on Thursday, said he was told this morning that he’d play tonight.
“It’s a minor little thing that’s been bugging me,” Lundqvist said after receiving treatment. “We don’t play again until Thursday, so this is a good time to get a break.
“I’m not going to talk about what it is, it’s a minor thing. This is more for the long run. It’s a long year and I want to try and stay fresh.”
The goaltender, who said the problem is not a byproduct of the dozens of times he’s been knocked down by opposing forwards crashing the net, added that he is, “pretty confident,” that he’ll be good to go when the Blueshirts meet the Thrashers at the Garden on Thursday.