Larry Brooks

Larry Brooks

NHL

Lundqvist brings Stanley Cup final back to New York

When Henrik Lundqvist signed his seven-year, $59.5 million contract extension in early December, it wasn’t just the Rangers committing their future to the franchise goaltender, it was the franchise goaltender committing his destiny to the Rangers’ organization, as well.

No goalie in NHL history had ever won his first Stanley Cup with his original team as late into his career as Lundqvist. But now, nine years a Ranger, The King will get his chance at making history. He has earned it.

He has earned it with a 1-0 shutout victory over the Canadiens at the Garden on Thursday to clinch the Eastern Conference final in a game Lundqvist said, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more determined to win.”

Nine years after Lundqvist arrived from Sweden, 20 years after the Rangers’ last trip to the final and only Stanley Cup victory since 1940, and one year to the day after firing John Tortorella as coach, the Blueshirts found a way to win the most important hockey game played in New York in two decades, since the victorious Game 7 against Vancouver on June 14, 1994, that signified the waiting was over.

But Lundqvist has been waiting his whole career for this and every Ranger who dressed for this Game 6 other than Brad Richards and Martin St. Louis have been waiting their whole lives for their first shot at the Cup. Richards and St. Louis have been waiting 10 years for their second chance after winning it all in Tampa Bay in 2004.

Perhaps more to the point, Lundqvist had been waiting — if not stewing — for this Game 6 for 48 hours following his own and his team’s disappointing performance in Tuesday’s Game 5, 7-4 defeat in Montreal from which the goaltender was pulled after allowing four goals before the game was even half-completed.

Had been waiting 48 hours for a shot at redemption.

“It’s been tough,” Lundqvist said after recording his ninth career playoff shutout and second this year. “You think a lot. Going into the playoffs we talked about how it’s a roller-coaster mentally. You have so many highs and you have a few lows where you are questioning a lot of things.

“You have to make up your mind. You can’t have any excuses. You just have to go out there. I kept telling myself all day, believe in what you’re doing. I’ve been in that spot before, Game 6 in Philly where I got pulled.

“You have to stay confident. It’s a definite test mentally when you play a game like [Game 5 in Montreal]. And in the position you’re in, you have so much to lose but also so much to win. You have to approach it the right way.”

Lundqvist faced just 18 shots. The Rangers did not allow the Canadiens to pick up where they left off on Tuesday, holding Montreal without a shot for the first 7:35 of the match, eliminating the Habs’ speed and transition attack by eliminating turnovers, getting the puck deep and then getting after it with an effective forecheck.

Eighteen shots against Lundqvist and none in the third period until the 9:03 mark as the Blueshirts protected the 1-0 lead they had gained on Dominic Moore’s score at 18:07 of the second.

But there were key stops to be made, key stops to be made the way Ken Dryden made them for Montreal when the dynastic Canadiens limited their opponents to a handful of chances.

The key save and the best save and the game-turning save came at 15:15 of the second with the match scoreless and hanging in the balance by a thread thinner than the one that connects Lundqvist with Mike Richter and Ed Giacomin in Ranger lore.

Here, finally, came Thomas Vanek in on the left, driving to the net, attempting to pitch the puck in front. Only his pass deflected off Dan Girardi’s skate and, for a moment frozen in time, was on its way into the net, was on its way to 1-0 Montreal.

It never got there.

It never got there because Lundqvist made an acrobatic, tumbling, Hasekian blocker save after dropping his stick in the crease. For a second it seemed like an optical illusion that the puck had stayed out. It wasn’t.

It was King Henrik of Lundqvist inventing a way to make the most critical save of the most critical game of his career.

“That was vintage Hank,” Moore said. “You’ll remember that like you’ll remember his third period against Pittsburgh in Game 7. That save is going to stand out from this game and from this series.”

The Rangers protected their lead with purpose during the third period, with a rolling thunder forecheck and containment four lines deep. The Canadiens couldn’t pierce the Blue Wall and when they did, they could not pierce Lundqvist. There was a neat right pad stretch save on P.K. Subban with 9:25 remaining. There was a header on Brendan Gallagher’s left circle try with 1:15 to go.

And then there was a countdown, then there were the Rangers on their way to the Stanley Cup final.

“When it’s only two or three seconds left and you realize that you did it, it’s an unbelievable feeling,” Lundqvist said. “Nine years, this is my first time.”

It is Lundqvist’s time to make history.