NHL teams
Joe McDonald, ESPN Staff Writer 8y

With win over Finns, Henrik Lundqvist leaves no doubt that he's still a world-class goalie

NHL

TORONTO -- As the puck gently trickled over Finland's goal line for an empty-net tally with 2.6 seconds remaining in regulation, Team Sweden goaltender Henrik Lundqvist raised his arms in celebration and gave a fist pump like no one was watching him.

Truth be told: All eyes are on the 34-year-old netminder.

This game, this 2-0 win symbolized more than just a World Cup of Hockey victory. So many questions have surrounded Lundqvist since the end of the 2015-16 NHL regular season. Many wondered if he's nearing the end of an incredible career. The offseason was unlike any he had experienced in the past. He spent it preparing for this best-on-best tournament in the hope that he could rejuvenate his career for the New York Rangers.

Well, Lundqvist proved on Tuesday that he should still be considered a world-class goalie. He was outstanding in a 36-save, shutout performance over Finland.

"Obviously, it was an important game for me," Lundqvist said. "You try to build your game, but at the same time, you have to make sure you're helping your team. It's an important game. You can't just go out there and try to feel good and start building your game. It's too late for that. I had two [preseason] games to do that, and now it's for real. You just try to be really focused and do your best out there."

During the last World Cup preseason game against Team Europe in Washington, D.C., Lundqvist struggled, allowing five goals on 22 shots before he was pulled midway through the third period. Even though it appeared to be a terrible performance, Lundqvist maintained afterward that he was able to accomplish a lot in that game to prepare for the tournament. It didn't help when he did not play the first official game against Russia on Sunday because he had the flu. Instead, backup Jacob Markstrom played and led Sweden to a 2-1 victory with a 27-save performance.

Lundqvist participated in the team's full practice on Monday and said afterward that he would be ready for Finland. There was no way he would miss what could be his last chance to face Sweden's rival in international competition. On Tuesday, he flashed the pads and dazzled with his glove en route to a victory over the Finns -- and Sweden improved to 2-0 in this tournament.

"He was just awesome out there," Loui Eriksson said. "Made some really good saves for us. He looked like the Hank we've seen before. Great game. Important for us."

Like his teammates, Lundqvist takes a lot of pride in playing for the national team. He has won Olympic gold (2006) and silver (2014) and hopes to lead his country to another international victory in this tournament.

"That's why he's one of the top goalies in the world," said Sweden coach Rikard Gronborg. "He played an excellent game and gave us a chance to win. We knew coming into the tournament he's a top goalie, a piece of the puzzle for us to advance. If we are going to advance in the tournament, he has to be on. He gives a certain kind of stability. As coaches we know we can count on him."

Before the tournament, Finnish prospect Patrik Laine, who is considered a pure goal scorer with a laser-like shot, said it didn't matter which goalie was in the net because all he wants to do is score goals. He fired five shots at Lundqvist on Tuesday, but the veteran netminder stopped them all.

"We had many good scoring chances, but he was playing awesome in the net, so we couldn't score," Laine said. "When you don't score any goals it's hard to win a game. We were playing pretty well, but the right team won."

Laine's best scoring chance of the game came with 40.2 seconds remaining in the second period. Finland was on the power play when Laine unleased a one-timer from the top of the left faceoff circle. It was a precise shot to the top right corner, but Lundqvist snared it with a highlight-reel glove save.

"The puck was bouncing, so it was good I got a shot off from that pass, but I think I had a pretty good shot. He's a good goalie and he got it and that's the deal," Laine said.

Since Lundqvist is likely still not 100 percent, the question will be: Should he play on Wednesday against Team North America? It's not a throw-away game for Sweden. If it was, especially given the way Markstrom played on Sunday, then Lundqvist could be given the day off, but that's not the case now. Lundqvist needs to play. It'll be interesting to see how he responds to playing two games in less than 24 hours.

Lundqvist said after Tuesday's game that he felt better both physically and mentally, and that he had more energy before the game than he'd had the last few days because of the flu. Lundqvist admitted he felt a bit rusty in the first period against Finland but was able to settle in as the game progressed -- so yes, he'll be ready to play against the high-powered young guns on Wednesday. Will he get to?

"I hope so. I haven't talked to the coach yet, but I want to go," he said. "It's an important game. We're not in [the semifinals] yet. But he makes the call."

Plus, he'll likely face a ton of shots given Team North America's high-paced play so far.

"We're playing a team with a lot of skill, and they move the puck more side-to-side than maybe the Finns do," Lundqvist said. "The Finns go pretty straight to the net and try to create rebounds and chances like that, so it's going to be a great challenge for me and for the team tomorrow."

No matter how this tournament ends for Sweden, if Lundqvist can continue to play like he did against Finland and build his game in preparation for his season with the Rangers, it'll be interesting to see if he can regain his Vezina-worthy ability.

"He's had a great career in the NHL, and he's a great goalie," said Finland goalie Tuukka Rask, who also played well and finished with 28 saves in the loss. "He's been at the top for many, many years, so hopefully I can do the same."

There's only one thing missing from Lundqvist's resume and that's a Stanley Cup. His performance on Tuesday showed he still has the ability to compete at an elite level. It was the type of performance that could lead to great things during the 2016-17 season.

"It's good for your confidence when you play a game like this," Lundqvist said.

^ Back to Top ^