Henrik Lundqvist already has a silver medal to his credit this year. Could he add more championship hardware with the New York Rangers this postseason?

I recently caught up with the goalie to discuss the Rangers’ Stanley Cup chances, comparing his current and former coaches, the Sochi Games and how he relaxes in his down time.

Enjoy …

Q. You broke quite a few records for the New York Rangers recently, and the ceremony the team held for you was appreciated by every hockey fan.

LUNDQVIST: “It was definitely a special moment in my career. Skating over there, I saw my mom standing there crying. It was hard not to get all emotional. It was just very special for me, to have my family on the ice to share that moment with me was so great on so many levels.”

Would you say this team is the deepest Rangers team in your tenure?

“It’s so hard to compare year to year, I think. Different years you have different strengths. But I have to agree that we have a lot of talent on this team, especially lately we have been able to win games in different ways. That is a huge thing, because that’s what it is going to come down to – you are not going to play great every night, but you need players to find different ways to win games. Right now all of our focus is, obviously, to get into the playoffs. But once you’re in, it’s all open. I think there are so many teams this year that can go all the way. That, I think, is exciting to know and to feel that it’s up for grabs for sure. Right now it is exciting to be a part of. There are a lot of teams fighting for the last two spots, and we have to do whatever we can do get in and go for it.”

The Rangers have been getting into the playoffs for a few years now. For a team like yours, when is simply getting in is not going to be good enough?

“Well, every year you go into the season your goal is to go for it, it is to win the Cup. We made it to the Conference Finals a couple of years ago, and I thought it was, obviously, a great experience; we took a couple of steps in the right direction. If you look over the last two years at teams who have been playing the most playoff games the Rangers will be right up there. We played a lot of playoff hockey, and that shows some consistency. But then you say ‘When is the time to win?’ Right now we are challenging ourselves to get in, and then really go for it. And I think we have the team for that. No question. We just need for everything to go our way at the right time, have everybody play at their absolute best.”

This team is different indeed, but there is also a new coach this year. For you personally, what has been the main difference between John Tortorella’s New York Rangers and Alain Vigneault’s?

“We play a different system now where we play differently in our own end. I think it gives us the ability to have more speed coming out of the zone. I think this year we create more chances and score more goals, which is huge. As to what is the main change, the main factor for us? We’ll see. So far this year, especially the second half, the fact that we have been able to win in different ways shows that a lot of good. We have also shown a lot of character coming back in a number of games when we were behind a couple of goals and win those games. I like the character. I like the attitude in the room. A lot of guys want to be better and to win. That’s what it comes down to.”

You’re 32. You signed a new long term contract recently. Do you ever feel the time is running out a little bit to win the Cup?

“Hmm… I definitely feel like the time is flying. But I don’t feel like it’s running out. I think I am right in the middle of it, and I am enjoying the ride. It’s a lot of fun. And it is a great challenge how we work every day. You’re in New York, there are a lot of expectations, and there is a lot of pressure. But it’s fun too! As long as you look at it the right way. It is a fun challenge. It is fun to be a part of it. You just try to focus on what’s going on this year. I try not to think about how many years I have left, or how many years I have already been here.

“But of course recently with the ceremony and the fact that I broke a couple of records I have been thinking about the past, about how I got here. The nine years I have been with the Rangers have been awesome so far. But I still hope that the best is ahead of me.”

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