I’VE GOT THIS: Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, grabbing a shot by the Caps during the first of three overtime periods Wednesday, attributes much of his success this season to being able to get away from the game on days off, which has helped keep him fresh. (UPI)
WASHINGTON — At a different stage of his career, Henrik Lundqvist probably wouldn’t have been able to push hockey aside the day after a draining triple-overtime victory and thus re-energize himself for the next game, the way he did Thursday in the wake of the Rangers’ triple-overtime Game 3 victory against the Capitals that ended at 12:15 that morning.
But then, that would have been at a different stage of the goaltender’s life.
“I’m able to handle things like this better because I think I’ve found a better balance in my life over the last couple of years,” Lundqvist told The Post following Friday’s practice. “Even this year, over the regular season I could feel the difference in the way I was able to put the game out of mind on the off-days.
“I’m a pretty intense guy when it comes to preparation, and with the amount of mental energy that goes into playing, I needed to be able to have a different approach away from the rink, and that took some time for me.
“It’s me maturing in my life as much as in my career,” the 30-year-old said. “As a person, I’m more relaxed.”
The Rangers did the best they could to stretch their legs and empty their minds of hockey on Thursday following the classic 2-1 victory that ended with Marian Gaborik’s goal at 14:41 of the third OT.
Friday, they were instructed by coach John Tortorella to eliminate the word “tired” from their collective vocabulary, the coach essentially telling his players even thinking about being tired would all but lead to defeat in Game 4 this afternoon.
Tortorella then immediately swatted away a question about the topic during his press briefing.
“We’re not tired. This is not a tired team,” he said before beginning to articulate a thought that he then broke off. “Like I said [Thursday], we have no chance …
“I’ll leave it at that. Our team is fine.”
The fill-in-the-blank is: Tortorella believes the Rangers have no chance if they think they’re tired and have no chance to win the Stanley Cup if one triple-overtime victory in the second round is perceived as reaching some sort of summit.
Equally true is the Blueshirts have no chance if Lundqvist is not consistently at the top of his game, as he has been by recording a 1.55 goals-against average and .944 save percentage through 10 matches while holding opponents to two goals or fewer seven times and winning three of the seven in which the Rangers have been held to under three.
He has done it with quick feet, a cool hand, and a clear mind with pinpoint focus he has been able to bring into challenges — including the Game 6 potential elimination match in Ottawa, the ensuing Game 7 showdown against the Senators and will need again Saturday as the Rangers attempt to lay down a 3-1 hammer on the Caps.
“It’s both hockey and how I am as a person that allows me to be comfortable and have that focus,” said Lundqvist, who got away from it on Thursday by going to the movies and taking a stroll around the nation’s capital.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned it’s not about proving things to people, it’s about challenging yourself, .
“Going into this year, Benny told me that 30 is a good age for a goaltender, because you understand the game,” Lundqvist said, referring to goaltending coach Benoit Allaire.“But I also understand myself.”
Thirty may be a good age for a goaltender, but it’s always good to be the King.