For the last 15 years – and actually a majority of the franchise’s history, dating back to Gump Worsley in the 1950’s and 60’s – the Rangers haven’t had to worry about goaltending. Henrik Lundqvist assumed the spotlight in 2005 and presided over an era of sustained success matched only by the revered Rangers of the 1970’s. Indeed, Lundqvist frequently propelled mediocre teams to heights they wouldn’t have otherwise reached. His statistics, both traditional and advanced, tell that story.
Unfortunately, Father Time is undefeated. That’s why we’ve seen the rather awkward transfer of power from the unquestioned starter just a few years ago (Lundqvist routinely played 55-60 games per season for much of his career) to the current three-way timeshare between Lundqvist, Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin.