ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Many Rangers who came walking through the bowels of Amalie Arena after their morning skate Wednesday were dressed for the beach — wearing shorts and a T-shirt, sandals, maybe a baseball cap. A few others wore dress pants, some had sharp blazers, but only one player came striding through in a full suit.
Henrik Lundqvist’s hair was impeccably coifed, his posture straight as a javelin. He projected power, confidence and certainty, at least until later that night, after the Rangers’ 6-5 loss in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. He allowed six goals for the second consecutive game, including one in overtime, on a shot he never saw, as the Tampa Bay Lightning seized a two-games-to-one lead.