LOS ANGELES — Henrik Lundqvist isn’t concerned.
While Rangers coach Alain Vigneault and Lundqvist’s teammates have spent the last few days talking about the need for improved play across the board after the Kings’ 3-2 overtime win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals, their best player remained confident.
“I think the reason we’re here is we’ve been consistent, especially the second half of the season, the way we’ve been playing,” Lundqvist said after practice at Staples Center on Friday. “I think parts of the last game were really good and there’s parts we can improve. We’re going to correct that for tomorrow.
“We didn’t get the result we wanted, but there was a lot of good things we can build on for the next game. … We could have easily won that game.”
Lundqvist, in particular, has reason to be optimistic. He was arguably the best player on the ice in Game 1, the primary reason the game even went to overtime. He made 40 saves, including 20 in a sensational third period. Of the three goals he yielded, there was nothing he could do against two of them, point-blank opportunities by Drew Doughty and Justin Williams, performing as he has throughout the postseason.
“You could tell he was focused and looking forward to the challenge and the opportunity of the playoffs,” Vigneault said. “He’s been one of our great performers and we need him to continue. We need him to play the way he has been for us. I’m sure that’s what he’s going to do.”
Lundqvist is relishing this stage, which he described as “fun” and “exciting,” a combination of the Olympics and All-Star weekend because of all the media and the hype surrounding the series. But he’s not just content to be in the Stanley Cup finals, nor are his teammates.
And by the way he talked on Friday, Lundqvist doesn’t think the Rangers are too far away from getting a game from the Kings.
“We’re ready for this challenge,” he said. “Try to even this up.”