Ex-New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella never hesitated to criticize most of his players to the media, but Tortorella, who was fired last spring, usually wouldn't openly scrutinize goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. His successor Alain Vigneault, apparently has no issues with it.
Vigneault was highly critical of the goaltender following the Rangers 3-2 loss Tuesday night to the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden.
The coach was unhappy with the second goal that the 2011-12 Vezina Trophy winner let in against the Devils. Devils' forward Ryan Carter out-legged speedy Rangers' forward Carl Hagelin to a loose puck and took a light backhand shot from a bad-angle that somehow got through Lundqvist to give the Devils a 2-1 lead with just 46.1 seconds left in the first period.
Vigneault said after the game he wasn't sure what happened on the play or how the puck went in.
"I'm not quite sure what happened there," Vigneault said per ESPN. "It's an easy first man on the puck. Mind you, it's a routine save."
Routine save or not, Lundqvist let it get past him, and even though the Rangers were able to knot the game at two goals apiece in the third period, the team ultimately fell 3-2 and lost to the Devils for the second time in two meetings this season.
Lundqvist, who struggled out of the gate this season, but looked very sharp in the last couple of weeks, but Vigneault said that the second goal was "one that Hank would want back."
Lundqvist said after the game that the team had a pretty good effort Tuesday night but ultimately failed to escape the Garden with two points.
"We did a lot of good things as a team," Lundqvist, who made 25 saves, told ESPN. "Jersey played well. They played hard in their own end and they don't give up that much, but we still created chances. A lot of good things, but we needed to find a way to win and we didn't."
Lundqvist was banged up after being hit by a shot and while he admitted it "hurt a little bit" after the game, he stayed in net and looked healthy for the rest of the game.
Lundqvist is 6-7-0 on the season with a 2.51 goals-against average and a .951 save percentage.
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