The sight was surely unnerving to the Rangers, who have come to rely, tactically and psychologically, on Henrik Lundqvist at this time of year.
Just seven minutes into their practice session Monday, Lundqvist skated off the ice for an unscheduled 14-minute break. Then after a brief return, Lundqvist, the Rangers? top goaltender, left for good. Tim Webb, a special assistant to the equipment manager, took Lundqvist?s place in goal, bravely deflecting slap shots from highly trained professionals.
Coach Alain Vigneault later brushed off Lundqvist?s retreat as a flulike problem likely to resolve itself by Tuesday. But the Rangers are set to begin their first-round playoff series against the red-hot Penguins in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and this just seemed the latest odd turn in what has been a meandering season for Lundqvist, the masked face of the franchise.
?He just wasn?t feeling well,? Vigneault said. ?I told him to go off. There was nothing that needed him to be out there today.?
While that was surely true, the sheer unpredictability of Lundqvist?s season is of some concern. Through mid-December, he was indisputably the best goalie in the league.
Since then, there have been as many downs as ups. Lundqvist?s goals against average, 2.48, is the worst in his 11 years with the Rangers. He has not had a lower save percentage (.920) since 2008-9. Then again, maybe he has been too busy, facing nearly 30 shots per game, the most of his career.
?He?s always been a slow starter, and there was an emphasis this time on a better start,? said Joe Micheletti, the MSG commentator. ?After 21 games, if you had a ballot to decide who would be the M.V.P., he?d have won it hands down. That was the best stretch of 21 games ever played.
Just seven minutes into their practice session Monday, Lundqvist skated off the ice for an unscheduled 14-minute break. Then after a brief return, Lundqvist, the Rangers? top goaltender, left for good. Tim Webb, a special assistant to the equipment manager, took Lundqvist?s place in goal, bravely deflecting slap shots from highly trained professionals.
Coach Alain Vigneault later brushed off Lundqvist?s retreat as a flulike problem likely to resolve itself by Tuesday. But the Rangers are set to begin their first-round playoff series against the red-hot Penguins in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, and this just seemed the latest odd turn in what has been a meandering season for Lundqvist, the masked face of the franchise.
?He just wasn?t feeling well,? Vigneault said. ?I told him to go off. There was nothing that needed him to be out there today.?
While that was surely true, the sheer unpredictability of Lundqvist?s season is of some concern. Through mid-December, he was indisputably the best goalie in the league.
Since then, there have been as many downs as ups. Lundqvist?s goals against average, 2.48, is the worst in his 11 years with the Rangers. He has not had a lower save percentage (.920) since 2008-9. Then again, maybe he has been too busy, facing nearly 30 shots per game, the most of his career.
?He?s always been a slow starter, and there was an emphasis this time on a better start,? said Joe Micheletti, the MSG commentator. ?After 21 games, if you had a ballot to decide who would be the M.V.P., he?d have won it hands down. That was the best stretch of 21 games ever played.
