Rangers Daily: Henrik Lundqvist all-in with Knicks; Islanders, captain ‘far apart’
For a hockey player from Sweden, Henrik Lundqvist sure loves his basketball. More specifically, the New York Rangers legend loves his Knicks basketball.
A fixture at Madison Square Garden for decades now, both as a player on the ice and a courtside fan by the hardwood, Lundqvist is all-in with the Knicks and their run to the NBA Finals this spring. And that included making the trip to San Antonio on Wednesday for Game 1 of the best-of-7 championship round against the Spurs, a Jalen Brunson-fueled 105-95 gut-check victory for the Knicks, which included a comeback from 14 points down in the third quarter.
Henrik certainly had his own great playoff memories with the Rangers, all those Game 7 victories, for example. But the one thing that probably sticks to with him the most is not getting it done in 2014, his only Stanley Cup Final appearance. Despite Henrik’s brilliance in that series, the Rangers lost three overtime games, including a pair in double OT, and dropped the series in five to the Los Angeles Kings.
The Rangers haven’t been to the Cup Final since, their only visit since winning it all in 1994. And that was 54 years after their previous Stanley Cup championship. So, The King knows how big this is for the Knicks, themselves in a 53-year championship drought, and 27 years removed from their most recent NBA Finals appearance, a five game loss to the Spurs in 1999.
These opportunities aren’t guaranteed. It almost feels like Henrik’s presence throughout the NBA playoffs is a reminder of that, though probably Patrick Ewing’s presence at each Knicks postseason game is even more relevant.
Lundqvist, though, is a serious Knicks fan, and without his beloved Rangers in the playoffs, it’s cool to see him ride the Garden wave with the other tenant this spring.
Loved this from Henrik in the NBA Finals preview in the New York Post on Wednesday: “I lived in New York City for 21 years and I’ve always been very impressed with the knowledge and commitment from the New York Knicks fan-base, and I have to say if the Knicks win the NBA title, this city’s going to be shaking. And there’s nothing better than playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
“Let’s go Knicks! Come on now!”
New York Rangers news and analysis
Per reports, the Rangers are getting “ton of interest” in Vincent Trocheck on the offseason trade market.
The Rangers were linked recently to the Montreal Canadiens in a Trocheck trade rumor/report shared from north of the border.
Rangers fans have their say — in a recent Forever Blueshirst poll on social media, the Faithful voted that they’d rather see John Tortorella, Brett Howden and the Vegas Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup Final instead of K’Andre Miller and the Carolina Hurricanes.
John Kreiser breaks down the pros and cons of the Rangers possibly signing Mason Marchment in free agency.
“Competitive window” and “long-term vision” are key phrases for the Rangers to keep in mind when they consider Alex Tuch in free agency.
NHL news and rumors
X: Pierre LeBrun reports that the Islanders and UFA captain Anders Lee are “far apart” on a new contract after the two sides recently met, and it’s looking like Lee will test the open market July 1.
TSN: Darren Dreger reports that it appears Jonathan Toews will retire after a one-season comeback with the Winnipeg Jets.
Vegas Hockey Now: Up 1-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, here’s some fun analysis on what makes the Golden Knights the most hated team in the NHL.
The Athletic ($$): Here’s Scott Wheeler’s final Top 100 NHL Draft board.
Sportsnet: Chris MacFarland was introduced as the new president of hockey operations and general manager for the Nashville Predators on Wednesday, and stated that his goal is to get them out of the “mushy middle” and build them into a consistent Stanley Cup contender.
Carolina Hockey Now: Rachel Barkley breaks down the Hurricanes’ Game 1 loss to the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final, and concludes that it wasn’t all so bad and they should be better for it in Game 2 on Thursday.
Montreal Hockey Now: Marc Dumont does an excellent job breaking down the Canadiens salary-cap situation this offseason, and what they might be able to do to fortify their roster.
