GOTEBORG, Sweden — Henrik Lundqvist helped the Rangers beat his former Swedish club Frolunda 4-2 Friday in a preseason homecoming game that pitted him against twin brother Joel.
Lundqvist received a long standing ovation from the sellout crowd at Scandinavium Arena before the game. He responded by blanking his former team on four straight penalties in the first five minutes of the second period.
“Usually I am very focused heading into a game, but here I had so many things going through my head . . . I was uncomfortable until the second period,” Lundqvist told BlueshirtsUnited.com. “I will never forget this.”
The Rangers went ahead on goals by Kris Newbury, Michael Del Zotto and Erik Christensen before Mika Pyorala beat Lundqvist on a power play 7:56 into the third. Mike Rupp put the game away with three minutes left.
Henrik Lundqvist played for Frolunda for five years, leading the club to two Swedish titles before joining the Rangers in 2005. Former Dallas Stars forward Joel Lundqvist returned to Frolunda in 2009.
With David Satriano