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Devils aren’t so sure Henrik Lundqvist has a weak glove hand

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As great as Henrik Lundqvist is, one must assume that even the all-world New York Rangers goalie has a weakness. The word was that the Washington Capitals believed that he was vulnerable if you could shoot high toward his glove hand, but they weren’t able to exploit that supposed issue enough to win their seven-game series.

Being that the division rivals face each other so frequently, the New Jersey Devils probably have their own ideas about how they hope to beat Lundqvist in the Eastern Conference finals. Patrik Elias and Zach Parise aren’t copping to an obvious flaw - at least publicly - though.

When a reporter said “the book on Lundqvist is to shoot high,” Parise’s went to the “can we have a copy of that book?” well. Meanwhile, Elias expanded on those doubts by pointing to Lundqvist’s outstanding season.

“I don’t know; he’s nominated for [the Vezina], hasn’t he?” Elias said. “There’s a reason for that. I don’t know if he has a weakness, really.”

Still, Elias gave a few potential ideas on how to produce a bit against the stupendous Swede.

“But there [are] different ways you can get to him, probably,” Elias said. “Obviously you have to have traffic, screen as much as possible ... you have to find a way. Maybe spread them out a little bit at certain times. You have to react to the game. Certain plays you have to get the pucks on the net quick. Get the shots quick. Different time shift, maybe take a little extra time, make extra two paths in.”

One of the obvious storylines for this series is a local passing of the torch from aging great Martin Brodeur to current elite Lundqvist. The Devils have a chance to give Brodeur perhaps his last big push for a fourth Stanley Cup, but they’ll be forced to foil King Henrik.

Whether that means exploiting an allegedly weak glove or not.