Lundqvist well prepared, looking to reclaim No. 1 job for Rangers

GREENBURGH, NY. -- Henrik Lundqvist is doing everything he can to win his old job back.

"Let's see if it's enough," the New York Rangers goalie said.

Lundqvist was on the ice for the first day of training camp Monday, which signified the beginning of Phase 3 of the NHL Return to Play Plan. He was joined by fellow Rangers goalies Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev, who are both in the same position as him.

One of them will start Game 1 of New York's best-of-5 series against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers on Aug. 1. But who that is will be determined by how they perform in practice before the team departs for Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city, on July 26.

The Rangers, who were 37-28-5 (.564 points percentage) before the NHL paused its season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, will enter the Qualifiers as the No. 11 seed. Carolina (38-25-5, .596) will be the No. 6 seed. The winner will advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the loser will have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery, which will be held Aug. 10.

"Going back to Sweden during the break, I spent a lot of time with my family, some of my friends, and it also gave me an opportunity to work on my game technically, physically and mentally," Lundqvist said. "I feel like coming back now I'm in a really good place in all three areas. I feel very excited to start the camp. We're three guys competing for one spot, so we'll see who gets to play, but I'm not looking too far ahead. I'm taking it week by week right now. The three things I'm going to try to control and can control, physical, technical and mental, I feel like I'm well prepared there. I'll give it my all in camp and see what happens."

Lundqvist lost his job as the Rangers' No. 1 goalie in the second half of the season after Shesterkin emerged following his recall from Hartford of the American Hockey League on Jan. 6.

Lundqvist started four of New York's final 29 games from Jan. 7-March 11, going 1-3-0 with a 3.48 goals-against average and .872 save percentage. During that same span, Shesterkin went 10-2-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .932 save percentage in 12 starts, missing six games because of a rib injury. Georgiev was 7-5-1 with 2.87 GAA and .910 save percentage in 14 games (13 starts).

Prior to Shesterkin being recalled, Lundqvist split time with Georgiev, starting 22 of 41 games and going 9-9-3 with a 3.10 GAA and .910 save percentage.

"It was kind of like two parts of the season," Lundqvist said. "The one part where I got the minutes I was used to and I had stretches where I think I played as good as I played in a few years. Then the second part of the season when I [started four] games in two months or so, it was up and down. It was hard to get a good read. What I take away from it was I never really experienced that situation my career. It was a big change. I tried to adjust to it as good as I could, but it was definitely challenging, no question about it."

But Lundqvist's belief has not wavered.

"I know it's there," he said. "It comes down to just mentally being in the right place because when I was, I was playing some pretty good hockey."

Rangers coach David Quinn said a lot will go into the decision, including how the goalies perform in camp, what was going on before the season paused and Lundqvist's history of success against the Hurricanes.

He was 3-0-0 with a 2.33 GAA and .947 save percentage in three starts against Carolina this season. In his NHL career, Lundqvist is 33-12-1 with a 2.00 GAA, .934 save percentage and two shutouts in 46 games against the Hurricanes.

"I actually had a meeting with all three of them today telling them how important the next three weeks are going to be," Quinn said. "There's going to be a lot that goes into it, but in the one position probably more than any these next three weeks are going to be pivotal."