Alex Ovechkin finally has his Stanely Cup. Henrik Lundqvist is still chasing that dream, but Ovechkin’s success hasn’t stopped Hank’s class.
This must be a very hard time for Henrik Lundqvist seeing his rival Alex Ovechkin lift a Stanley Cup before him. But that isn’t keeping Lundqvist from being a good sport as he congratulated Ovechkin and the rest of the Caps.
Pretty cool to see one of the best duos out there get rewarded. Congrats @ovi8 @backstrom19 Well deserved! #StanleyCup
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) June 8, 2018
Such class from the 36-year-old netminder.
Lundqvist and Ovechkin have gone up against it several times during the postseason. Most recently the two met in the 2014-15 Eastern Conference Sem-Finals. Washington took a 3-1 series lead, but it was Lundqvist and the Rangers advancing to face Tampa for a trip to Tampa to battle for the Cup.
The Rangers, and Lundqvist, have had their fair chance at winning the Cup over the years. They came up short in the Stanley Cup Final against the Los Angeles Kings in five games back in the 2013-14 season. They’ve also lost twice in the Eastern Conference Finals, in 2012 and 2015.
Now in 2017-18 the Rangers and Caps are in two different places. Washington, of course, is the team to beat in hockey, while the Rangers have fully embraced a true rebuild.
In the season series between the two teams, the Caps won three of the four games. The lone Rangers win came with backup Ondrej Pavelec in net, not Lundqvist.
With Ovechkin, the Conn Smyth Trophy winner, on top now, the rivalry between the Rangers and Caps can only get better. Ovechkin has what Lundqvist and the Rangers have been longing for since 1994, and it doesn’t look like Ovechkin will ever be ready to give up the Cup.
The only that is keeping that from happening is time. Seriously though, is it October yet? Because four months without hockey just doesn’t feel right.
