HANK ON IT
King, Rangers make ‘big game’ win look routine
TORONTO — On any other night in any other year, this one would have been routine for the Rangers and Henrik Lundqvist.
But considering the Bizarro World in which the franchise goaltender and has lived over the past days, if not weeks, Thursday’s 5-2 victory over the Maple Leafs, in which Lundqvist played a significant role, was anything but usual.
“I think this was a big game for me,” Lundqvist said in a kingsized understatement. “Sometimes a win means a little bit more and you enjoy it a little bit extra.”
The Rangers buckled down fundamentally all over the ice, but most especially in the area in front of the net they had begun to vacate as a matter of routine while losing three straight in regulation and six of their previous 11 (5-6), since Dec. 20.
“There was a conversation among the group about coming to a stop in front of the net and defending,” Derek Stepan said. “Look, you’re going to give up chances even when you’re playing well, but Hank is going to stop those. But multiple chances in a row? No, that’s unacceptable.
“We came to a stop and we defended. It was much better.”
Decision-making at either line was hardly worthy of celebration in this game between up-tempo teams that generated almost no pace. But the Rangers were strong below each goal line and maintained their structure pretty much throughout the match, in which they surrendered 25 shots, 20 at even-strength.
“We challenged ourselves to be better,” said J.T. Miller, who blew one off Frederick Andersen’s glove from the right circle at 9:02 of the second for a 3-1 lead. “We put the puck behind their D, we focused on our play in front of our own net and we got the right plays at the right time.”
Indeed, Miller’s 15th goal of the season completed perhaps the game’s most pivotal sequence, for just before No. 10 converted, Lundqvist was able to stay with Mitch Marner as the splendid rookie broke in on the right side and forced a backhand to go wide. Seconds later, bang, on the ensuing rush.
“The game is so fast but as a goalie, you want to be there and make a difference for the group,” said Lundqvist, wearing the Broadway Hat he had been awarded. “This was better. I was more on my toes.”
Lundqvist saw — the operative word — his first shot at 0:45, a tricky deflection off Leo Komarov’s blade in front. He made a 2on-1 pad save on Frederik Gauthier at 5:20 and then stayed with and denied Auston Matthews on a dash to the net at 7:57. Early challenges accepted.
“I focused minute by minute and tried to build my game,” Lundqvist said. “I wasn’t rushing. I wanted to be patient.”
It was 2-1 after one, Rangers, on goals from Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich that sandwiched Tyler Bozak’s goal from in front when a pass from the corner glanced off the defending Kevin Klein and onto the Toronto captain’s stick.
The Leafs cut it to 3-2 by the end of the second on Zach Hyman’s shorthanded goal at 14:02 when Adam Clendening lost it in noman’s land after being left on his own. But the Rangers nailed it down in third, effectively shutting down the Leafs before Michael Grabner got his 20th on a shorthanded breakaway at 14:57 and then his 21st into an empty net to seal it.
The victory was the Rangers’ league-leading 16th on the road (16-7), where they have taken five of their past six games and nine of the past 11. Meanwhile, they have dropped three straight and five of the past seven at the Garden.
“I don’t know what it is or why, but we’ve been better in every category — much better — on the road,” Stepan said. “I don’t know whether we’re feeling some pressure of trying to put on a show for our fans, but this is something we have to figure out and correct.”
For this night — on which the Blueshirts scored at least five goals for the sixth time in their past 11 games and 17th time overall — the Rangers were a correction. So was Lundqvist.
“It’s just one game but it is something to build off,” said the goaltender, who has 393 career victories. “Ill take it one-by-one. That’s all I can do.”
All while sticking to his routine.