Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist saved some time recently to chat with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: What special quality do you think this year’s team has that maybe others haven’t had?
A: We’ve been a hard-working team, but what I feel this year is we’re a little bit more consistent. We’re a little bit more mature group, that can handle ups and downs maybe a little bit better.
Q: If teams take on the personality of their coach, what would the personality of this team be?
A: We try to leave everything out there. … We’re talking about Torts (John Tortorella), he leaves everything out there. He’s very determined … passionate. And I think being a passionate team, that’s something that goes a long way, to have that fire, and you want to give everything out there.
Q: Is this the most passionate team you’ve played on in New York?
A: Yeah, I think so. … I mean, it’s hard to say if it’s just being passionate but … it’s a combination of a lot of things … being more mature, but being ready to pay the price. … It’s a combination of a lot of things that I really like about this year.
Q: Is it a hungry team?
A: Yeah. We’ve been in the first round, second round but … I think we’re hungry for more.
Q: What do you think about the Super Bowl champion Giants?
A: It’s inspiring, no question, to see a New York team have success like that. I’m not gonna lie, I think about it. I think about going all the way, win it. … We have pictures there at the practice facility from ’94 and you see all the fans and you see the players. … I won a few championships back [in Sweden] and the Olympics, and just that feeling of winning and satisfaction of accomplishing something that big … that’s what drives you.
Q: Do you visualize carrying the Cup?
A: Maybe not carrying the Cup (smile). … I see myself and us as a group winning. … I see that. … I mean, I’ve always been a dreamer. I always dreamed a lot growing up … but I think it’s important that you see yourself succeed. It inspires you to go there.
Q: If you see yourself succeed, why wouldn’t you see yourself carrying the Cup the way Mark Messier did?
A: (Laugh). Maybe I do. Maybe I just didn’t want to say it! (Laugh). Of course, I think everybody dreams about winning the Cup, lifting the Cup.
Q: The next Big Blue could be you guys — Big Blueshirts. What would you say to Rangers fans about that?
A: We want to be the next winning team. … It can end pretty fast if you’re not ready to pay the price.
Q: Can this team do what the Giants did?
A: I believe we can do it, yeah. We’re good enough to win … but to go all the way … it’s a long road. You need all 20 guys to play their best. I kinda compare ourselves to Boston, how they play. They play hard. They have four lines going. … Tim Thomas plays really well in net … but that’s what it’s gonna take, everybody to play at their absolute best, and then we have a chance.
Q: What’s it like being The King?
A: (Chuckle). Well, I definitely don’t feel like The King, or anything close to it. … It’s a funny nickname. It started my first years. In the beginning it was weird to have people scream that — like, “Hey King Henrik” — it’s kinda awkward almost (laugh). But now it’s like Year 7, and I kinda got used to it. … I mean, it could be worse … but I try not to take it too serious (chuckle).
Q: You’re approaching your 30th birthday.
A: Thanks for reminding me (smile).
Q: How do you feel about turning 30?
A: I’m right where I want to be. There’s no panic attack that I’m turning 30 (smile).
Q: Is it hard to believe though?
A: A little bit, yeah. Time’s been flying … 30, it feels pretty old (laugh).
Q: What was it like as a 23-year-old coming to New York and being Rangers goaltender? Was it overwhelming in the beginning?
A: I was just really focused on just playing hockey and then make the team. It was a dream come true, obviously, to play in this league and play for this organization. But I felt like I was pretty well prepared, like I played with the national team back home for a couple of years, I won two championships, so I had a lot of pressure on me and I put a lot of pressure on myself playing back there before I came over, so when I came here, I was ready for the next step.
Q: So how would you sum up what it’s been like being goaltender for the New York Rangers?
A: It’s been a great challenge and a fun ride. Playing in New York, especially when you do well, it’s an incredible feeling. But obviously we’ve been going through some times where it’s been a little tougher, but that also … it just makes you even harder to get back on track. I didn’t really know what to expect when I came here, I come from a pretty small town, so I was pretty open-minded about everything — like how to approach the game and everything around the game — and so far I love everything about it.
Q: What do you hope Rangers fans say about you?
A: I hope they say that I always give my best and I could be the difference … a lot of times.
Q: How do you deal with the pressures of being the goaltender in New York?
A: You try to, I think, bring it down to a level where it feels comfortable for you. Yes, I know a lot of people expect a lot of us and me, a lot of people put pressure on us … but you try just to focus on what you have to do, and it’s what I do every do, and I practice on it every day. So when it’s game time you try to just keep that level where it’s like, “OK, this is what I do, don’t think too much.” That’s what happens sometimes when you struggle, you start thinking too much, and you start thinking about all the people that are putting pressure on you, and they want you to play well, and all this. … It comes for me just to stop the puck. So being the goalie here, I just try to break it down — stop the puck, that’s it. Don’t try to overthink it. … It could be a pretty tough thing to do. … We talk about being in a little bubble almost. … If the bubble is too big, you think about too many things — it’s a tough game.
Q: Is that how you get yourself out of a slump?
A: I try just to work as hard as I can. Sometimes you try to keep it simple, work on the basic stuff and then … just not really any shortcuts to try to get out of a slump. You just try to work as hard as you can, and things will turn out for you.
Q: But emotionally, what is it like being in a slump?
A: It could be draining, like you can overthink it, and waste a lot of energy on just trying to analyze everything. Sometimes you can’t get good answers. For a goalie, it’s not only about you. It’s about the team playing in front of you and sometimes it’s just a tough game and you just have to accept it (chuckle).
Q: Any sleepless nights ever?
A: Oh yeah, there’s nights where you lay there and think about, “I should have done this or that.” … Almost after each game, your brain just keeps working … it goes over what happened, and what’s going to happen maybe. … So it’s tough to fall asleep right away after a game. It takes me a couple of hours to calm down. Usually the brain just keeps going … bad or good.
Q: More so when you’re bad, I would think.
A: Actually no — sometimes it works even more when you play well, because you’re so excited. When you have a bad game, I just want to go to sleep (chuckle), I just want to forget about it.
Q: But is that easy to do?
A: I think I’m getting better at it. When you’re younger you tend to drag things more and overthink it. When you get older, maybe a little more understanding for the game, I think it’s easier to move on.
Q: Pregame meal?
Superstitions
?
A: Yeah, I have a lot of stuff going on game day. I’m a little more relaxed now than maybe a couple of years ago. I try to find a balance. It’s all about a balance, I think.
Q: What are the constants?
A: I always sleep two hours in the afternoon. … I come to the rink, I listen to music, I go over different scenarios in my head — always the same scenarios pretty much. I remind myself what I have to do out there to have success. … I always start the warmup at the same time … look at the clock, “OK it’s time to warm up, it’s time to get dressed.” … Right before we go out to the ice, I have certain things I do — the clock, you look at the clock a lot, because you do the same thing at the same time every time.
Q: Do you eat the same meal?
A: Most of the times, yeah I eat spaghetti and meat sauce for lunch every game day.
Q: Are you recognized in NYC, when you go to Serafina’s or your own restaurant, Tiny’s, for example?
A: Not a lot. … It’s at a really comfortable level, I think. I feel like I can live a pretty normal, relaxed life, compared to in Sweden where I feel like people are watching way more, and feel like someone is always paying attention to what you do. … I still always feel like I’m representing the New York Rangers, and I’m part of this organization so (chuckle) … like in Sweden, I’m ready for people to come up to me or recognize me, but here it happens way less. Which is more comfortable, I think. But you still have to expect people to expect people to know who you are sometimes.
Q: You married your Swedish sweetheart last summer.
A: She’s very supportive and caring. We understand each other. She knows me really well. It’s a great feeling to have someone that you can trust 100 percent. We have a lot of fun together.
Q: How does she deal with you being a sex symbol?
A: (Chuckle) Obviously when you play sports, you get more attention. … It’s not easy always, but she handles things really well. I think she was well prepared as well for New York. … It’s not always easy to be next to the person that is getting a lot of attention or have people around you asking for stuff all the time.
Q: Have you gotten a lot of marriage proposals over the years?
A: (Chuckle) I probably got a few, over the years … but I turned them all down (chuckle).
Q: What drives you?
A: Winning. Pretty simple. Growing up, all that mattered to me was winning. Doesn’t matter it was skiing or soccer or hockey … playing cards.
Q: Winning a Vezina Trophy?
A: It’s a dream, no question, to win Vezina, yeah. It’s the ultimate prize for a goalie, I think. It’s a goal. I think it motivates me a lot to try to be the best.
Q: In the last year, where do you think you’ve made the biggest improvement in your game?
A: I feel like I’m more in control on rebounds.
Q: Describe, in 25 words or less, Torts.
A: Honest, passionate, challenging coach … competitor,
Q: Brad Richards.
A: Smart player … very professional in everything he does … great hockey sense.
Q: Brandon Dubinsky.
A: Hard-working … great teammate. … He will always stand up for you. … If there’s a scrum, Duby will go in first and make sure nobody’s touching his teammate.
Q: Marion Gaborik.
A: Great skater, sniper … focused.
Q: Ryan Callahan.
A: Warrior … always paying the price … leader. … He leads the way he plays … physical.
Q: King Henrik.
A: (Laugh) Focused … competitor … love winning.
Q: Funniest guy on the team?
A: [Dan] Girardi’s pretty funny. He always talks to himself and it’s pretty funny. He does it on the ice, too. I’m used to it now, but the first couple of times it happened, I was like, “Who is he talking to?”
Q: Athlete in other sports you admire?
A: Roger Federer.
Q: How did you become friendly with John McEnroe?
A: We’ve been running into each other over the years here in New York, in concerts and hockey games, and we talk about music, and finally we’re jamming together and then came up with an idea to host a rock show and raise money for charity. It’s been a lot of fun, jamming.
Q: His temperament when he played was the exact opposite of yours.
A: (Chuckle) I mean, when I play and then things go the wrong way, I can be pretty upset, too … but he’s a very cool guy, and very nice guy.
Q: How would you describe your style of dress?
A: Well-dressed with an edge? (smile).
Q: Favorite recent movies?
A: “The Town,” “The Fighter.”
Q: Retire here?
A: I would love to play here forever, yeah.
steve.serby@nypost.com