Conn Smythe Watch: Henrik Lundqvist
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded annually to the player most valuable to his team’s success throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
To this point, Henrik Lundqvist has got to be considered among the favorites.
The King has put together yet another fantastic post-season, reminiscent of his 2012 campaign that saw him post a staggering .931 save percentage to go along with a 1.82 GAA over a span of 20 games.
This year, Lundqvist slightly trails Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford in both categories, but not by much. Here’s a look at how Crawford and Lundqvist compare, courtesy of hockey-reference.com:
*Note: After GM2, Lundqvist now leads in SV% at .934 and his GAA is now 1.93
Quite simply, the Rangers would not be where they are now without Lundqvist. As we’ve seen in the past, goalies have the ability to ride these hot streaks throughout the playoffs and straight to the Stanley Cup Final, and Hank is no exception. Here’s how Lundqvist’s post-season (so far) compares statistically to some other fantastic performances of years past:
Its worth noting that Quick, Giguere, Thomas and Roy all won the Conn Smythe in their respective years.
If the Rangers can get past Montreal and advance to the Stanley Cup Final, Lundqvist would certainly receive serious Conn Smythe consideration. It’s truly remarkable to see the Ranger goaltender this locked in, especially considering a tumultuous regular season that saw him post “mediocre” numbers by Lundqvist standards.
For the Rangers, they’ll hope The King can continue the roll he’s been on. Their success lives and dies with his.
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