Ever since his arrival, Henrik Lundqvist has been treated like a king. The crown jewel of the Rangers, Lundqvist signed a mega contract extension worth $59.5 million over seven years that keeps him a Blueshirt through 2020-21. A Vezina winner, the 31-year old Swedish King is closing in on Mike Richter’s franchise record in wins (301). Entering tonight against Columbus, he’s won 285 while posting 47 shutouts- trailing Hall Of Famer Ed Giacomin (49) for the franchise lead.

Lundqvist has an impressive resume that includes seven consecutive 30-win seasons. The most ever by a goalie to start a career. He also won Olympic gold backstopping Sweden to glory in Torino. That also coincided with an impressive rookie year in ’05-06 that saw him win 30 games with a 2.24 GAA, .922 save percentage and two shutouts. Chants of “Hen-rik, Hen-rik” quickly resonated throughout Madison Square Garden.

Among the highlights were a league-leading 11 shutouts in ’10-11 to get the team back to the postseason. They were eliminated by Washington in five games. Thus far, ’11-12 ranks as his best. In 62 games, he set career bests in wins (39), GAA (1.97) and save percentage (.930). Lundqvist finished 39-18-5 with eight shutouts guiding the Rangers to an Atlantic Division title and the East’s best record. With the team playing a responsible defensive system reliant on him, Lundqvist excelled. He carried them to the Conference Finals. That included a perfect 3-0 record in elimination games during series wins over Ottawa and Washington. Unfortunately, the Devils ousted them from the playoffs to advance to the Stanley Cup Final. One goal the team hasn’t achieved with Lundqvist.

Following a second round exit to Boston, the passionate Rangers franchise goalie expressed disappointment referencing the season as a step backwards. That contradiction to Tortorella and trepidation about re-signing with them led to the demanding coach’s dismissal. Clearly frustrated with a style that didn’t produce consistent offense, Lundqvist wanted a change. Though he’ll never admit it, he’s the biggest reason Glen Sather made the switch and brought in ex-Canucks bench boss Alain Vigneault. Vigneault emphasizes a more aggressive style that rewards offensive talent.

So far, it’s been a dud. With only 70 goals through 32 games with a mediocre 15-16-1 record with 31 points, the Blueshirts find themselves on the outside of the playoffs. Due to the new division format, they only trail Carolina by a point. Realignment guarantees the top three spots in each division. Even though the new Atlantic is clearly better, only three teams automatically qualify. With Pittsburgh the only lock, there’s more than enough time for the Rangers to turn it around. They enter in fourth five points behind second Washington. The issue is the more games they lose, the harder they’re making it on themselves. New Jersey has 30 points and is one back while Columbus and Philadelphia have 29. Even the Islanders are still hanging around with 23 following their shootout win at San Jose last night.

A look at Lundqvist’s season and it doesn’t take an expert to conclude that it hasn’t been his best. In 24 starts, he takes a losing 9-13-1 record with a 2.60 GAA and .913 save percentage into tonight. If the season ended, those would be career worsts. He hasn’t performed up to his high standard. With the team in front of him not as committed defensively, his play has suffered. He’s seeing more quality chances and isn’t always coming up with the big saves. That must change.

He’s the Rangers’ MVP. Nobody takes losing more personally than Lundqvist. In fact, he concluded that it’s been his most challenging season to reporters following Tuesday’s loss to Nashville. With Derick Brassard, Ryan Callahan and Marc Staal all out, the Rangers could use a big game from their best. Maybe that could provide the missing spark. At some point, you expect your best to step up. It’s Lundqvist time.