New York Rangers Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist put his name in the club’s record books twice this week with a pair of wins over the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils. Lundqvist now holds the Rangers marks for both wins and shutouts.
He won his 302nd game for the Rangers on March 18 in an 8-4 win over the Senators, and then set the team’s shutout record with 50 just four days later in a 2-0 victory over the Devils. Mike Richter held the former club records with 301 wins and Eddie Giacomin held the previous shutout mark at 49.
After the wins the 32-year-old Lundqvist stated, “It's kind of surreal when you think about it. I hope I have a lot of years left to keep winning, but it’s definitely a proud feeling and I realize that I've been lucky to play with a lot of great players and it's been a great ride so far. Coaches and players and the whole organization have been treating me really well so it's been a lot of fun.”
The win over New Jersey at the Prudential Center came against Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, who holds the all-time record for shutouts in NHL history with 124.
The Rangers are currently in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference and Lundqvist will be depended on if the team is to wrap up a postseason spot. They’re in a race with the Washington Capitals for third spot in the Metropolitan Division and could also make the postseason as a wild card team.
The Rangers currently sit in second place in the division with 82 points, which is just one behind the Philadelphia Flyers, three ahead of the Capitals and four in front of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Lundqvists’ parents flew in for the game against the Devils and he said he was really happy they were able to see him set the team’s new shutout record. The win was the Rangers' fourth in their past five games as well as their fourth consecutive on the road.
The team leads the league in away wins with 23 of them so far this season. Lundqvist has won 28 games this campaign with 22 losses and four defeats in overtime or shootouts. He also has five shutouts and a goals-against average of 2.42 with a save percentage of 91.9.
Lundqvist was originally drafted by the Rangers in the seventh round with the 205th overall pick of the 2000 NHL Draft. He was born in Are, Sweden and played his junior hockey in his homeland.
He made his debut with the Rangers in the 2005-06 campaign and has a career record of 304-193-61 with a goals- against average of 2.27 and a 92.0 save percentage. His 50 shutouts also place him number 25 on the NHL’s all-time list.
He has also appeared in 67 career playoff games with a record of 30-37 along with a goals-against average of 2.28, a 92.0 save percentage and eight shutouts.
