The Henrik Lundqvist Blog

Lundqvist Robs Jagr 5/19/13

2013-05-19T18:49:00.002-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-05-19T18:43:00.002-04:00

Watch Henrik Lundqvist Receive the Broadway Hat After Game 6 of the Washington Series

2013-05-18T23:11:00.001-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Practice Video Interview

2013-05-18T22:59:00.000-04:00

Watch Henrik Lundqvist Give Ryan McDonagh the Broadway Hat After Game 7 in Washington

2013-05-18T19:13:00.000-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist Talks Fatherhood in New Video Interview

2013-05-17T18:50:00.000-04:00

NY1 parenting correspondent Shelley Goldberg sat down with New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist to talk about being a father.
Yes, he's the king. And now, Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has a new role to play: as dad to 10-month old daughter Charlise.

"I was a little nervous going into it. You're not sure how much it's going to change your life, and it's a big responsibility, obviously, to take care of a little baby," Lundqvist says. "The first couple months, it was hard to kind of connect a little bit, but then, there was this day when she started looking at you, and then a couple weeks later, she starts turning around. And when she hears your voice, she knows you're there. And that was a big thing."

Another big change?

"Obviously, not getting the sleep that I'm used to getting. That's a new thing," he says.

Even though he reigns supreme as a Ranger, Lundqvist knows there's always room for improvement at home.

"I have to work on a lot of things. That's true. My patience, and I think I'm, especially during the season, I'm more stressed than offseason. To have, it's easy for me to be relaxed and understand that things, things won't go perfectly all the time with a little kid, and that's easier for me to handle when I'm not under pressure," he says. "A little more patience would not hurt for me, that's for sure."

Ultimately, for Lundqvist, the goal is to find balance on and off the ice.

"Maybe I grew up a little bit having this baby, but you have, I think it changes your priorities a little bit," he says. "I don't want it to be too much hockey. I don't want it to be too much off-ice stuff, either. Life is about finding that balance where you just feel comfortable and happy, and that's when you're going to perform the best as well on the ice."

Click here to view the interview on NY1.com (It doesn't allow embedding)

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-05-17T01:55:00.003-04:00

Sean Avery May Have Helped Henrik Lundqvist Plan For Fatherhood; Reveals They've Invested in a Social Media Venture Together

2013-05-16T21:48:00.000-04:00

Talk about the ultimate male-bonding moment between two professional hockey players.
Former Rangers winger Sean Avery says that when it comes to pressure situations, there was nothing quite like the conversation he had with then teammate Henrik Lundqvist prior to a game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

“There were many conversations where the two of us would talk about him being a father. There was fear attached to that like I think there is with many men," says Avery with a laugh. "I don't know if this is too much information, but the question becomes when to have the baby. With sports, the schedule is a big thing.
"It's an interesting conversation for two 30-year-old men to be having in Carolina the night before a game over dinner — when Hank should try to plan his fatherhood."

Avery says fatherhood has been nothing but a good thing for the 31-year-old Lundqvist, a new chapter that balances the goalie's uber intense nature.
"Henrik's ability to focus is probably better than anybody I've ever seen," says Avery, who co-owns Tribeca restaurant and bar, Tiny's, with Lundqvist and calls the goalie one of his closest friends. "He has something that you can't really explain. It's not a level that a lot of people can identify with. It's actually unbelievable that somebody can be this focused. The tougher the game, the better he plays."

When Avery does visit with Lundqvist, they never talk hockey, as Avery updates him on business matters — besides the restaurant, both men are invested in social media venture called Twtmob (tweet mob).
"Henrik's also an entrepreneur. He's obviously involved in a restaurant with me, and he has probably more endorsements than a lot of hockey players," says Avery. "He's started becoming interested in investing in different companies and understanding them. Not only did he just write a check (for twtmob), like most athletes do, he started to learn and understand what the company actually did."
But Avery knows that Lundqvist has a lot of hockey still left in him, too, and hopes that a Stanley Cup title is in his friend's future.
"I'm definitely happy for him and he's been a close friend for a long time," says Avery. "I want to see him win, too. I don't think that he's going to be satisfied unless he gets a championship, no matter how many Vezinas he wins or how many times they chant his name at the Garden.
"They call him ‘The King,’ and it's extremely fitting. Other than the fact that he hasn't won a championship, I'd say he's definitely the best goalie I've ever seen."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/hockey/rangers/avery-pulling-hank-torts-article-1.1346409#ixzz2TVTuisdn

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Morning Skate Video Interview

2013-05-16T19:00:00.001-04:00

Lundqvist Ready To Face Former Teammate Jagr

2013-05-16T01:46:00.000-04:00

By ANTHONY RIEBER

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Friend or foe? Turns out that for Henrik Lundqvist, one member of the Boston Bruins is both.

Lundqvist smiled Wednesday when asked about facing former Ranger Jaromir Jagr, who will be trying to score against the Rangers' red-hot goalie when the teams begin their Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday night at TD Garden in Boston.
"Yeah, he's such a special player," Lundqvist said. "I'm happy I had the opportunity to play with him. It's a great memory to have when you look back. To have a chance to play with one of the best players to ever play the game, it was a lot of fun. Such a nice person, too."

Jagr, 41, played for the Rangers from 2003-'04 to 2007-'08. Lundqvist joined the team in 2005-'06, which also happened to be Jagr's best season on Broadway when he scored 54 goals and had 69 assists for 123 points.

After leaving the Rangers, Jagr spent three seasons playing in Russia before returning to the NHL with Philadelphia last season. He started this one with Dallas before getting dealt to Boston at the trade deadline.

In 11 regular-season games with the Bruins, Jagr had two goals and seven assists. He had four assists in Boston's first-round playoff victory over Toronto, including one on Patrice Bergeron's overtime series-ender in Game 7.
"I'm happy that he's back in the league," Lundqvist said. "It's going to be tough to face him. He's a great player. But I respect him a lot as a person and as a player."

Jagr, with his playoff beard showing more than a trace of white, praised Lundqvist Wednesday to reporters in Boston.
"He's just a good goalie," he said. "I've never studied the goalie position or been a goalie coach, so I don't know why he is good. But he's good because he is stopping the puck. I guess most of the pucks he stops."

He stopped all of them in the final two games of the Rangers' first-round victory over the Washington Capitals. Lundqvist's back-to-back shutouts in Games 6 and 7 earned the Rangers a trip to the second round.
Boston, after nearly blowing a 3-1 series lead to Toronto, rallied from a 4-1 third-period deficit in Game 7 and won the series in overtime.
Lundqvist was 2-1-0 against the Bruins this season. In his career, he is 21-7-2 with a 1.67 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage in 30 career games against them.
"It's very tough to score on him," Jagr said. "He doesn't make many mistakes. The way he goes, the team goes. And it's always been like that, even when I was there. He was the most important guy on that team."

http://www.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/lundqvist-ready-to-face-former-teammate-jaromir-jagr-1.5272096

Henrik Lundqvist Mad Dog Unleashed Radio Interview 5/14/13

2013-05-14T21:48:00.002-04:00

New Henrik Lundqvist Head & Shoulders Commercial

2013-05-14T03:50:00.000-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview; Records 8th Career Playoff Shutout in Game 7 Victory

2013-05-14T03:33:00.003-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist made 35 saves to post his second straight shutout, eighth career in the playoffs, and improved to 29-33 in 62 career postseason contests. It is the 18th time he has posted 30 or more saves in a playoff game, registering a 9-9 record with a 1.49 goals against average, .941 save percentage, and four shutouts in those contests. Lundqvist passed Dave Kerr for second on the Rangers’ all-time playoff shutouts list, and is now one postseason shutout shy of Mike Richter for first in franchise history. Lundqvist improved to 3-1 with a 1.00 goals against average, .963 save percentage, and one shutout in four career Game 7s. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Lundqvist’s 1.00 goals against average is tied for first in the NHL all-time among goalies who have appeared in at least three career Game 7s. Lundqvist is the first goalie to post shutouts in Games 6 and 7 of a playoff series since Dominik Hasek with Detroit in the 2002 Western Conference Final against Colorado. *courtesy of the Elias Sports Bureau - It is the fifth time a Rangers’ goalie posted shutouts in consecutive playoff games, and the first time since Mike Richter in the first round of the 1994 playoffs.

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview; Records 7th Career Playoff Shutout

2013-05-12T21:12:00.001-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist made 27 saves to post his seventh career playoff shutout, and improved to 28-33 in 61 career postseason contests. He is now 8-3 in his last 11 playoff games at Madison Square Garden, posting a 1.92 goals against average, .920 save percentage and two shutouts over the span. Lundqvist is now tied with Dave Kerr for second on the Rangers’ all-time playoff shutouts list. This was the 12th time in franchise history the Rangers posted a 1-0 victory in the postseason, and is the third time Henrik Lundqvist backstopped a 1-0 playoff win.

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-05-11T00:56:00.001-04:00

New Swedish Henrik Lundqvist Video Interview

2013-05-10T01:22:00.002-04:00

Lundqvist A Vezina Finalist For the 5th Time in His Career

2013-05-09T02:17:00.000-04:00

By JEFF Z. KLEIN

When Henrik Lundqvist talks about his craft as a goaltender, it is almost as if he is giving a seminar about how to succeed at any endeavor requiring work, devotion and concentration.

So it was again Wednesday, after the N.H.L. announced that Lundqvist, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, was a finalist for the award again this year. The Vezina is given to the league’s best goalie as voted by the league’s 30 general managers, and Lundqvist has been named a finalist five times in his eight-season N.H.L. career. The other finalists are Sergei Bobrovsky of the Columbus Blue Jackets and Antti Niemi of the San Jose Sharks.

“I always try to push myself as much as possible,” Lundqvist said before Game 4 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night. “I want to be up there and be recognized as a good goalie, and when people appreciate what you do, it’s always a good thing.”

Rangers Coach John Tortorella often calls Lundqvist the backbone of the team, and he has been voted the Rangers’ most valuable player for seven consecutive years. He is a model of consistency, finishing below the N.H.L.'s top 10 in save percentage only twice in the last eight years, despite playing more minutes in that span (30,216) than any goalie besides Calgary’s Miikka Kiprusoff.

Last season the Rangers surged to the regular-season conference title; this year they struggled, qualifying for the playoffs after Game 47 of the lockout-shortened 48-game schedule. Lundqvist noted the difference, and what it required of him.

“I like the challenge,” he said. “Last season things were going our way early, and a lot of fun things happened. This year we had to work to get back in the race. As long as you see it as a great challenge, you can have fun with that as well. It doesn’t always have to go your way.”

Describing the inner dialogue he conducted with himself during a year that was difficult for the Rangers, he added: “Personally, for me, it was important to ask myself the right questions during the season. We were not winning as much, but I had to look at my game: Am I doing the right thing here? Do I need to change something? Even though it’s a team sport, for me it’s about what I’m doing. I have to look at myself, and when I do my best, I’m going to help the team to do well.

“So sometimes you just have to make sure you ask yourself the right questions and not get carried away with the result all the time.”

Martin Biron has been Lundqvist’s backup for three seasons. This year he got into only six games, as the Rangers’ desperation forced Tortorella to go with his No. 1 goalie almost every night. But Biron brings a goalie’s special insight to describing his teammate’s process.

“The key for him the last two years has been consistency,” Biron said. “That consistent preparation on ice, off ice, has got to be there. He’s better than anybody at doing that. His routine is perfect, and that’s what he gives us every night.

Biron noted what it meant for Lundqvist to lead the Rangers through a season when they were constantly on the brink of crushing disappointment.

“There’s pressure when you’re at the top of the conference like we were last year, to always keep it at the same level,” Biron said. “But it’s such completely different pressure from being in 9th and 10th and 8th and 7th and 9th, and then having to move back up. There’s a reason why we finished sixth, and that reason is him. It’s the reason why he was M.V.P. for seven straight years here. That’s a tribute to his consistency.”

Tortorella said: “How he competes, he helps the team in front of him on how he plays -- it forces the team in front of him to play the right way.”

Tortorella noted that he had hoped to give Lundqvist more rest this season, but could not because of the need to make the playoffs. But Lundqvist’s steady excellence made it an easy choice for Tortorella.

“He is that good, and that consistent,” Tortorella said.

He finished tied for the league lead in wins with 24 in 43 starts. He was fifth in save percentage (.926) and seventh in goals-against average (2.05). Niemi also had 24 wins in 43 starts, with a .924 save percentage and 2.16 goals-against average for the Sharks, who advanced to the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday night with a victory over Vancouver. Bobrovsky, with 21 wins in 37 starts, was second in the N.H.L. in save percentage (.932) and tied for fifth in goals-against average (2.00)

Lundqvist said he found a certain kind of fulfillment from the season just ended.

“It’s been an interesting year, and a different year – shorter season, tight schedule, and things maybe didn’t go our way all the time,” he said. “But when you have to work really hard to get back in the race, and finally you get in, it’s just a big reward.

“Last year it felt like things were going our way. This year we had to work really hard for it. And personally I maybe had a little bit more highs last year. But the consistency this year is something I’m pretty pleased with.”

As for Game 4 against Washington, which the Rangers need to win in order to even the series?

“I feel good, excited,” Lundqvist said. “It’s always fun to play here, especially in the playoffs. You try to enjoy it. It’s a lot of pressure, no question – I’m not going to hide that. But it’s fun to be out there, and feel the adrenaline, feel the crowd – it’s a little nervous as well.

“You just try to go out there and play your absolute best. That’s what we need right now. We’re facing a good team. If we can continue the play we had last game, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/sports/hockey/rangers-lundqvist-is-vezina-trophy-finalist.html?pagewanted=1&_r=3

Henrik Lundqvist Talks Vezina Nomination in Video Interview

2013-05-09T01:11:00.000-04:00

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Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-05-07T02:49:00.002-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-05-05T04:38:00.000-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-05-03T03:05:00.000-04:00

Watch Henrik Lundqvist Design a Head & Shoulders Shampoo Bottle

2013-04-29T21:32:00.000-04:00

From Sofi's Snapshots:

Henrik Lundqvist and I have fun news to offer. Maybe you saw us show up in this commercial last year: It was the start of our cooperation. After that, we started with a creative design process that is now finally ready to face the shelves (in June). We have designed our very own shampoo and conditioner bottles of Head & Shoulders, on the theme of New York:

http://bloggar.aftonbladet.se/sofissnapshots/2013/04/prata-hartips-med-mig/#disqus_thread

Henrik Lundqvist Named Rangers MVP For Record Seventh Consecutive Season

2013-04-29T00:28:00.000-04:00

The Rangers’ MVP, voted on by the New York Rangers media, was awarded to Henrik Lundqvist. This is the seventh consecutive year that he has won the award, which marks a franchise record. Lundqvist is tied for first in the league with 24 wins, ranks seventh with a 2.05 goals against average, and is tied for fifth with a .926 save percentage.

http://rangers.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=667959

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview; Surpasses Eddie Giacomin As Rangers All Time Shutout Leader

2013-04-27T22:38:00.003-04:00

Henrik Lundqvist turned aside all 20 shots faced to post his second shutout of the season, 45th of his career, and finish the season with a record of 24-16-3 overall (16-6-1 at home; 8-10-2 on the road). With the shutout, Lundqvist passed Ed Giacomin as the franchise leader in career total shutouts (regular season + playoffs), having posted 51 total shutouts in his career. - Lundqvist has allowed two or fewer goals in 16 of his last 20 games (13-5-2, 1.78 GAA, .930 Sv%, 2 SO over the span).

Henrik Lundqvist Post-Game Video Interview

2013-04-26T00:21:00.001-04:00