Lundqvist to visit specialist, Rangers goaltender hopeful for Game 2

PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The New York Rangers are hoping to have Henrik Lundqvist available for Game 2 of their first round series with the Penguins.

Rangers head coach Alain Vigneault said Lundqvist has a little bit of swelling around his left eye from a stick that snuck through his mask in Game 1 on Wednesday night.

“At this time we don’t feel that it’s anything too serious,” Vigneault said Thursday morning from the team hotel.

The club recalled Magnus Hellberg from their AHL affiliate in Hartford, but remain hopeful that Lundqvist can play on Saturday afternoon with the Rangers facing a potential 2-0 series deficit.

Lundqvist was due to visit a specialist in Pittsburgh on Thursday afternoon. The results of the examination would determine his availability moving forward.

Vigneault said Lundqvist would have to practice Friday if he was to play in Game 2.

The 34-year-old Lundqvist was struck near the left eye by the blade of teammate Marc Staal’s stick in the first period of a 5-2 Game 1 loss to Pittsburgh. He remained in the game for the final 48 seconds of the frame, yielding the game’s first goal to Patric Hornqvist, before being replaced by Antti Raanta.

The freak nature of the play, which saw the stick sneak through the bars in Lundqvist’s mask, was jarring to all in attendance at Consol Energy Center.

Vigneault recalled seeing a similar situation once before.

“I do remember asking myself at the same time, like ‘How can a stick go through that little hole there?’”

Rangers players were obviously concerned by the sight of their franchise goaltender writhing on the ice in pain and kicking his legs in an obvious panic.

“It’s so difficult,” said Rangers centre Derek Stepan, who had both goals in the defeat, “but as a team, your focus has to be on the rest of the game. You have to try as hard as you can to get yourself in a good state of mind to essentially finish the 40 minutes that are left.”

Vigneault wondered in hindsight whether it would have been best to lift Lundqvist from the game right after the incident, but said the goaltender was adamant that he was OK to stick for the 48 seconds that remained in the period.

Lundqvist consulted with team doctors on the bench after the play and seemed to indicate to Raanta that he was fine. He was nowhere to be seen though when the second period started.

“At that stage we’re putting him in a very tough spot in the sense that there’s not much time left on the clock,” Vigneault said. “He’s a good team guy, he doesn’t want to put his backup in a situation where he’s got to step on the ice with a little over a minute.”

The situation changed during the intermission when Lundqvist evidently had trouble seeing clearly. With about five minutes left in the 18-minute break, the team was told that Raanta was going in.

Raanta allowed three goals on 19 shots in relief.

The 26-year-old Finnish goaltender could get his first ever playoff start Saturday if the news on Lundqvist isn’t good.

Ranger players seemed wary of Lundqvist’s potential absence, but tried to press forward no less.

“It’s tough shoes to fill,” said winger Rick Nash. “He’s obviously been the backbone of this team, but I think we’ve got to look at it as a challenge. I think (Raanta) has been great all year and he can fill the shoes.”