Hartnett: Lundqvist's Challenge Is To No Longer Be 'The King Of Pain'

By Sean Hartnett
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When Henrik Lundqvist settles into his crease at United Center on Wednesday night, he'll gaze at the Chicago Blackhawks' newly raised Stanley Cup championship banner and stare directly at the challenge in front of him.

For 10 seasons, "King Henrik" has chased valiantly after a championship of his own and come up short. The pain was there for all to see after the Rangers were eliminated in Game 7 of the 2015 Eastern Conference finals. While teammates skated to center ice to exchange handshakes with the advancing Tampa Bay Lightning, Lundqvist needed time to collect himself before joining them.

"You put your heart and soul into this entire year to try and get back and get an opportunity to play in the Final," Lundqvist said following Game 7. "And we were 20 minutes away. It's extremely tough when you don't come out with the result. We worked really long and hard to get here and to be in this position. To come up short, it's tough."

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Some fans refer to Lundqvist as "The King of New York," but no fan wants to see him continuing to be "The King of Pain."

As Sting sang in the 1983 Police hit: With the world running circles around my brain, I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign, but it's my destiny to be the king of pain.

There has always been the question of whether Lundqvist will ever get his hands on Lord Stanley's chalice, whether he would follow the path of legendary Rangers netminder Ed Giacomin and join the list of great goaltenders not to lift the Cup. Lundqvist will turn 34 in March. You never know how many more chances he'll get to go on deep playoff runs like the past two playoff campaigns.

Or will he emulate his idol Dominik Hasek by capturing late career championships?

Dominic Moore skated alongside Lundqvist when the pair were Ranger rookies during the 2005-06 season. In the summer of 2006, the Rangers made the mistake of dealing away Moore to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a three-team trade. Moore went on to establish himself as a dependable two-way forward and penalty killing ace.

Reunited as Rangers teammates since 2013, Moore has studied Lundqvist at both ends of his career. From his first day as a rookie to present day, he has always seen the same commitment to excellence from Lundqvist.

"He's always had it since he was a rookie," Moore said of Lundqvist's dedication. "The ones that continue to excel, they are who they are. They bring that same mentality to the table every day. Improving their craft, working day in and day out, everyday – whether it's a practice day or a game day to try to be the best they can be. There's always improvement to be had no matter how good you are. Hank's always had that approach."

Throughout the preseason, the Rangers wore T-shirts bearing the slogan: "Work to perfection, reach new heights." That's what Lundqvist has always been about. He's a perfectionist at an obsessive level.

For the past few summers, new Rangers teammate Viktor Stalberg has trained with Lundqvist in Gothenburg, Sweden. Stalberg sees the intensity pouring out of the veteran goaltender in the summer months long before training camp.

"The past couple of years, I've skated with him quite a bit in the summer," Stalberg said. "He's a great goaltender. He competes hard even in July and August. That's a sign of a great goalie. I know he's hungry to have a good start this season."

A Stanley Cup champion with the 2013 Blackhawks, Stalberg spent the past two seasons skating in front of Nashville Predators' virtuoso netminder Pekka Rinne. He sees the similarities in the way Lundqvist and Rinne prepare themselves.

"He and Pekka are pretty similar in their approach to the game and approach to practice," Stalberg said. "They compete in practice like it's overtime – battling for every puck and competing like it's overtime in the Olympics. Hank competes so hard in practice. He makes sure he's not giving you anything."

New to the Rangers, Stalberg has quickly noticed the respect Lundqvist commands in the dressing room.

"What he says goes a long way," Stalberg said. "He's a quiet guy when he goes about his business in the locker room before games, but when he says something it's usually of importance. Everyone pays attention. He's our franchise player, a superstar in this league."

Maybe when it's all said and done, Lundqvist will be looking up at a championship banner he helped raise when his number 30 is lifted to the rafters at Madison Square Garden alongside Giacomin's number 1.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey