It only took five and a half seasons, but on Thursday night, the NHL’s goaltending fraternity welcomed their newest member to the 200 win club. Henrik Lunqvist rode a 25 save effort and 2 saves in the shootout to his 22nd win on the season—reaching the milestone in a sold out Madison Square Garden.
After the game, Lundqvist was in an optimistic mood:
At least he’s setting the bar high. Considering the fact that he’s signed through the 2013-14 season, that mark might be within reach one day. Then again, it helps when he plays 70+ games every season.
By winning his 200th game in the NHL, Lundqvist became the 5th player in Rangers history to reach the milestone. Since joining New York in the 2005-06 season, he’s owned the Rangers’ net like Sean Avery owns a runway. His career .918 save percentage and 2.33 goals against average has put him among the league’s elite netminders since the lockout. If his health can stand up to the rigorous demands of 70 games per season and Glen Sather can put a good enough team in front of him, I wouldn’t put 200 more victories past him.