A focused Henrik Lundqvist makes a save as Mike Del Zotto battles a Red Wing in front.
Getty Images/Frank Franklin II

Sometimes, you need your goalie to be your best player. For the Rangers, Henrik Lundqvist has been that and more for nearly a decade. Though his season doesn’t reflect it, he’s finally playing with more confidence. He stopped all 38 shots to outduel Jimmy Howard in a virtuoso performance won by the Rangers 1-0 over the Red Wings. Howard was sensational in a losing effort finishing with 47 saves.

A classic Original Six battle saw the teams combine for 86 shots. Only one snuck in. Since Alain Vigneault benched him in Detroit, Mats Zuccarello has been the team’s best player. He continued his penchant for big goals scoring the clutch tally with 5:58 left in regulation when his centering pass deflected off a Wing past an outstretched Howard. Sometimes, it’s better to be lucky than good. Zuccarello will take it.

The winning play started thanks to a defensive play from Benoit Pouliot. Moments earlier, he had a dangerous hit that went undetected. The Rangers came three on two with Pouliot feeding Derick Brassard, who quickly got the puck to a cutting Zuccarello. With a step on the Detroit D, he moved in and tried to get the puck across but got the fortuitous bounce for his 12th tying rookie Chris Kreider and Brad Richards for the team lead. It’s been that kind of year for The Hobbit. A joker off the ice, he was all smiles talking to John Giannone, who hinted that Kreider was lurking in the background.

There’s no doubt how much his teammates love him. From Kreider giving him a playful hug after the win to Mike Del Zotto hand slapping with the man known to Garden fans as Zuke, it’s easy to admire the crafty Norwegian. He’s fearless. Zuccarello will battle anyone for a loose puck. That’s why he’s having a breakout year. His 34 points trail only Richards (35) for the team lead.

”It was a pass to (Benoit) Pouliot,” Zuccarello said. ”It was a lucky bounce, I guess. I will take that.”

”Bittersweet,” Howard said following a tough defeat for the visitors who again were without Pavel Datsyuk and Daniel Alfredsson. ”Zuccarello wasn’t looking to shoot that. He was looking to pass it across. It’s unfortunate.”

I only wish I could’ve seen the entire game. I got in late and caught most of the third between the latest excruciating St. John’s loss. My alma mater still comes first. Luckily, it went two overtimes allowing me to see the best part of a big Ranger win. They needed it badly after losing a heart breaker to Ben Bishop and Tampa Bay 2-1. They still can’t figure the big USA snub out. Eight seconds was all it took to go from up one to being on the losing end despite tons of pressure late. So, what did they do? Pepper Howard, who looks to be almost back to form which is why he’ll be one of three goalies representing our country. Even if I still feel Bishop deserves it over him, Howard can be deadly when on. He and Lundqvist one upped each other with tremendous athletic saves.

”Both Hank and Howard had their ‘A’ game out there,” Vigneault said. ”They were seeing the puck and controlling the rebounds. We were just fortunate to finally be able to put one past him.”

”I think we both felt that the next mistake is going to be the difference. And it was,” Lundqvist noted after turning aside all 13 Detroit shots in the deciding period. ”Lately, we just believe in our system and we play a really strong team game. It’s been paying off lately in big games.”

Much of that has to do with his improvement. In six of his last eight starts, he’s allowed two goals or less. The best aspect is he earned his third shutout (48th career). His first one since 11/23 at Nashville. It’s been a long time coming. It wasn’t without close calls. At one point, a leaping Lundqvist dove forward to snatch a dangerous shot to keep the game scoreless with under 10 minutes remaining. Then after Zuccarello’s tally, he caught a break when Gustav Nyquist’s shot with Howard pulled hit the post and caromed off him before Hank dove on top just in the nick of time to keep it out with 44.5 seconds to spare.

”You kind of wait for a reaction when you hear it hits the post, but then you don’t get a reaction, so you know it’s behind you somewhere,” Lundqvist said. ”You don’t want to make too big of a move, so I just turned around, and it was right there. It’s fun when you get some puck luck. Maybe I earned it after a few tough bounces.”

It was about as close as it gets. One foul up and it’s in. Thankfully, Lundqvist carefully made sure his glove covered it up on the goal line. At this point in a heated race where teams are bunched up, every win matters. It put the Rangers back into a tie with the Flyers. Each has 53 points but Philadelphia has a game at hand. The Metropolitan’s top three are Pittsburgh, Philly and the Blueshirts. The top three in the Atlantic are Boston, Tampa and Montreal.

Setting up the wild card, the Leafs have 53 and the Caps come in at 52. Following another shootout loss, the Devils are tied with Ottawa with 51. Then Detroit has 50. Columbus has 48 and Carolina 47. The surging Islanders are up to 45 following a shootout win over the Lightning. Florida has 43. Only Buffalo remains out of the hunt with 32.

BONY 3 Stars:

3rd Star-Mats Zuccarello, NYR (clutch game decider at 14:02 of 3rd-12th)

2nd Star-Jimmy Howard, DET (47 saves-brilliant in defeat)

1st Star-Henrik Lundqvist, NYR (38 saves-another big performance)