Steve Valiquette
5 questions for...
MSG Network Rangers studio analyst and former goalie Steve Valiquette talks with The Post’s Justin Terranova about a different kind of Rangers season, his experience with Henrik Lundqvist and how he’ll approach analyzing a young team.
Q: How has this Rangers’ rebuild gone since it began?
A: (GM) Jeff Gorton has gotten a maximum load in return with what he had and was willing to do. The time it takes to tear it down versus the time to take to build it back up are significantly different. Looking at where the Rangers prospects are playing right now — Wisconsin, KHL, Hartford — that’s what makes it difficult to judge. They are creating a culture without everyone here, yet. You have to do it this way because of the draft age, but it just takes a longer time.
Q: How will the way you watch the games change this season?
A: I’m more interested this year in what the player-to-player development looks like. You look at the Rangers lineup right now. You have an unshackled Pavel Buchnevich playing on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Can he be a 55-60 point guy in the NHL? What is Kevin Hayes going to be like after a disappointing contract negotiation?
Q: Is it an odd feeling given that this has been a Stanley Cup-orbust team in recent seasons?
A: That’s even from days I was on the team. What I liked about joining the Rangers was a guy like John Tortorella coming in the first day of training camp and setting the expectations right away. We all knew the level we were playing to was the Stanley Cup. Everyone on that team knew on the ice, off the ice was all about playing for the Stanley Cup and you can’t say that to this group. Guys would just laugh at that, that’s the real- ity and everyone knows that.
Q: How did your opinion of Lundqvist change after you became teammates?
A: From the outside I thought, “Oh this guy is just a pretty boy who dresses really nice and is more interested in the off-ice fashion than the game.” Then you meet him and you realize that is absolutely false… I knew sitting next to Henrik in the locker room before practice that as soon as he put his laces through the eye holes I had to stop talking. This guy is not hearing a word I am saying right now, all this guy is focused on right now is the first puck he’ll be seeing. There’s no screwing around, no BS-ing. He’s the funnest guy in the world until he puts his laces on.
Q: How will it be different in the studio without Ron Duguay?
A: I don’t know because I haven’t done it yet. I am going to miss Ron a lot, we had a lot of very good times together just not in front of the camera, but off camera. A lot of laughs, camaraderie, but I am looking forward to working with Dave Malo
ney and Anson (Carter.)