By show of hands, who thinks it’s about time our goalie said something? I was hoping he would following the worst loss of the season. A hideous 3-1 home defeat to the hapless Panthers. Henrik Lundqvist has shown more frustration after losses. He finally spoke up.
”What’s frustrating is you look at the game, and we have enough chances to tie it up earlier, but we’re not doing it,” Lundqvist said after watching the Rangers turn countryman Jacob Markstrom into Dominik Hasek. They fired a season high 45 shots on net but only beat Markstrom once. A late Marian Gaborik tally that ended a scoring drought- teasing MSG more.
- “You don’t think about the standings, it’s going to be tough games. … Special teams is going to be critical going down the stretch. The PK starts with me, have to be almost at 100% because we don’t have the luxury of a lot of goals.”
Lundqvist wasn’t finished. He had some choice words for the lack of support, which is threatening the team, who fell behind the Devils and now sit ninth with their next game not till my Dad’s birthday on Sunday. It’s another team they should beat in Washington.
- “We did a lot of good things but that is getting old…we need to put the puck in the net. That is how you win games. We play the right way, we create chances, the big difference tonight was special teams. We lost that battle and we lost the game. We are not getting it done on the PK and it’s going to be a tough one for us.”
They may have taken a lot of shots but how many were quality? How often did Markstrom have to work? He took away everything down low yet the Blueshirts continued to shoot right into the bread basket. The one time Gaborik scored, it was on a breakaway where he deked and went top shelf to the backhand. He had a strong game, getting eight shots. Six more than Rick Nash, who at least set up Gabby’s ninth. On one chance, Nash had a step on the Florida D and didn’t shoot, instead passing to nowhere. There in lies the problem. It’s even affecting our best scorer.
- “Teams don’t play great all the time, but they find a way to win and I think that is something we are lacking a bit this year. It always helps when you get good bounces but you need to earn them.”
Everything Lundqvist said is 100 percent accurate. For whatever reason, this team lacks consistency. They remain abysmal on the power play. In typical fashion following a weak call on Tomas Fleischmann that allowed them to have a 6-on-4, Tomas Kopecky scored into an empty net.
Our goalie’s frustration is a concern. One year away from free agency, he doesn’t sound happy. Not that I can picture him leaving the bright lights for elsewhere. The team must perform up to expectations. If not this season, then it must happen in ’13-14. If they don’t, no one can predict what will happen. Time is running out. Lundqvist wants to win very badly. Last year’s disappointment should’ve served as a motivator. Instead, an overturned roster that still features many holdovers hasn’t jelled.
Whether it’s due to John Tortorella’s taxing style or the underachieving of Gaborik and Brad Richards, something must change soon.
hasan4978
Derek
Battle Of Hudson 