Henrik Lundqvist Closing In On Rangers History

Another night, another win for New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Or so we think. Lundqvist and the Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 Sunday afternoon, giving Lundqvist his 300th NHL win and 49th career shutout. The win puts Lundqvist into elite class, becoming the 11th goalie in league history to win 300 games. He and Martin Brodeur of the Devils are the only two active netminders with 300 career wins. But from a Rangers perspective, the win and shutout are more inpactful for the franchise.

The win puts Lundqvist just one behind Mike Richter for the franchise record for wins. Richter won 301 games in a Rangers uniform, a record which Henrik can break this season. By pitching the 3-0 shutout, his 4th zero of this season, it was the 49th of Lundqvist career, which ties him with Ed Giacomin for most shutouts in Rangers history. Both of those records, franchise wins and franchise shutouts, can fall before the end of this season.

There are 17 games left in the regular season for the New York Rangers. Lundqvist has started 49 games to this point, and has a chance to start at least maybe 10 of the remaining 17 games this year. So the franchise record for wins will fall, and in all likelyhood it will fall within the next two weeks. The Rangers play four games this week, three of which are on the road. They are in Carolina on the 11th, In Minnesota on the 13th and in Winnipeg on the 14th before returning home to play the Sharks on the 16th. If the Rangers are smart they make sure Henrik gets win 301 and then sit him till the 16th so he can break the franchise record for wins on home ice at MSG.

The shutout record is a little harder to predict when it will happen. However with the way Henrik has played this year, there is still a strong chance the record is going to fall this season. To snag one shutout over the final 17 games of the season, it can be done, but will it actually happen who knows.

With what King Henrik has been able to do, not only this year but in his career on Broadway, he is a lock to have his #30 raised to the rafters at MSG once his career is over. He has been able to win 300 games, and counting, in nine pro seasons. This while only losing 191 times in that same time span. And this is just in the regular season. Lundqvist has gone to throw in a 41-33 career playoff record with 9 shutouts. The shutouts and wins are the most ever by a Rangers netminder in the playoffs. Those kind of numbers are the stuff of legend, and dare I say it, hall of fame worthy!