Ryan LINDGREN
With the Rangers getting ready to face the Hurricanes in a best-of-five playoff series to kick of f the NHL restart next week, 22-year-old rookie defenseman Ryan Lindgren chats with The Post’s Steve Serby about the Rangers’ Stanley Cup chances, playing during the pandemic and much more.
Q: What do you like best about this Rangers team?
A: From an off-ice point of view, just how close everyone is and how much we enjoy being around each other and at the rink together and hanging out, joking around. It’s a very tight group. As a team on the ice, very fast, very skilled, hardworking team, great goaltending. I think that we’re a tough team and can sneak up on a lot of people. The way that we were playing towards the end of the year, we were a dangerous team.
Q: You think you can make some noise in the playoffs?
A: Absolutely. I don’t think there’s a guy in the locker room that doubts that, that we can make some noise going into the playoffs. We’re a great team and a confident team, and we’re excited to get going.
Q: How would you describe your on-ice mentality?
A: From what people say and I guess it’s truth, off-the-ice I’m pretty reserved, I guess, and really don’t say a whole lot, and then on the ice I like being physical, I like talking to the other players, and chirping a little bit . ... I just like the intensity of hockey.
Q: Who gave you the nickname The Warrior?
A: None of my buddies ever called me that. The announcer at Ann Arbor, my parents always say, called me The Warrior, so I guess that’s kinda where it started.
Q: But it’s carried over to the Rangers right?
A: Yeah, maybe that was just kind of a coincidence that that happened. I guess maybe Sam Rosen and Joe Micheletti started calling me that too.
Q: I would think that’s flattering, Paul O’Neill is remembered as The Warrior by the Yankees and Yankees fans.
A: Yeah, definitely flattering. It’s certainly not a bad thing to be called.
Q: Coach (David) Quinn recently said that you play angry . ... Why do you play angry?
A: I wouldn’t say I’m the most skilled guy out there. The way that I think I contribute to the Rangers and to the team is with my physicality, and just working hard. ... That’s just the way I gotta play, I gotta play mean, that’s where I’m playing my best hockey. You gotta be tough in front of our net and just use my body and yeah, play angry, I guess.
Q: Is it a skill to get under other players’ skin?
A: I think so. When you got the top players on the other team, you’re trying to get in their head a little bit, and I’m trying to hit ’em every chance you get. I definitely think that it’s a bonus for your team.
Q: How good of a trash talker are you?
A: I don’t think I’m great. If I get chirped, I’m not the quickest with the comebacks. Like you kinda get like a “What’d you say?” Like try to buy myself some time so I could finally think of something.
Q: You don’t initiate it?
A: It kinda depends. Kinda heat of the moment if I think of something and it just kinda comes out.
Q: Where do you think you need to improve?
A: I think on the offensive zones, especially trying to pick Foxy’s (Adam Fox) brain with how good he is with the puck and how deceptive he is being able to
shake a defender off and being able to fake and then get around a guy and be able to find lanes . ... Something I definitely think I can work on is just my shiftiness and being able to be more deceptive with the puck.
Q: Brad Marchand’s comments about you in February (“He’s not going to be a player there
that’s going to have a very long career).”
A: Two guys competing. That was an intense game, and we went at it a little, he had some words after the game in an interview. I didn’t put too much thought into when he says what he says, what he says doesn’t worry me at all, doesn’t affect me.
Q: Playing hockey during a pandemic?
A: It’s definitely gonna be different, especially the whole aspect of having no fans, and just kinda being in our little bubble. It’s definitely gonna be a little weird, but it’s still gonna be playoff hockey. Our team’s fired up and excited to get going.
Q: Any safety concerns?
A: Yeah, you’ve gotta make sure guys are being smart and doing the right things, but I know everyone’s gonna take it very seriously, and I don’t think there should be any problems.
Q: You can pick the brain of one player in NHL history?
A: Maybe a guy like Nicklas Lidstrom. Just kinda see what he did that made him so successful and how he approached each game.
Q: Best hockey moment so far?
A: The World Juniors in 2017, won the gold medal against Canada in a shootout.
Q: Worst hockey moment ... aside from this interview?
A: (Laughs) Probably my sophomore year at Minnesota, we had four games against Penn State in a row, all at Penn State, and we neededtowinatleastoneof’emto make the NCAA Tournament, and losing all four.
Q: How come your father and brothers were all goalies but you’re not?
A: My father played high school in Minnesota and played college at Michigan and my brothers tried it from an early age and ended up liking it. I ended up giving it a try and
didn’t like it.
Q: How old were you?
A: I was probably 5 or 6 years old. I think I let in like 12 goals or something, started crying on the ice, my dad comes out,
dragged me out, and that was it.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Chris Farley, Bobby Orr, Tiger Woods.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: Sports movie, “Miracle” is obviously a fun one to watch. My favorite movie I can probably watch over and over again is probably “Old School.”
Q: Favorite actor?
A: Chris Farley or Will Ferrell.
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Jennifer Aniston.
Q: Favorite singer/entertainer?
A: Luke Combs.
Q: Personal goals?
A: Just being consistent and working hard every game and trying to be the best player I can be and try to help out the team as much as possible. And making sure if I don’t have a great shift or maybe a great game, (forgetting) about that and looking forward to the next one, making sure I bounce back and stay consistent throughout the year.
Q: Career goals?
A: Try to play as long as I can and help the team as long as I can. Obviously, you want to win a Stanley Cup, you want to help the team get to the playoffs and be successful.
Q: What drives you?
A: I guess my family kinda does. I know how proud my parents and my whole family, my grandpa, it means a lot to them for sure seeing this stage of my career being able to play in the NHL, and play for the Rangers. I know that’s something that’s really special for them, and how much time and money they put into helping me go through hockey at such a young age. Just that they’re proud, and that drives me a lot to keep going.
Q: Your NHL dream started when you were 5; what’s it like being a New York Ranger?
A: It’s special, no doubt. I can’t believe it sometimes that I’m fortunate enough to play in New York City and to play for the Rangers.
Q: Your message to Rangers fans?
A: A hungry team excited to show what we got, and excited to go compete. Excited for Game 1 on Aug.1.