Philadelphia 76ers v New York Knicks - Source: Getty — Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist believes "goalies face more quality chances" (Getty)

Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist believes "goalies face more quality chances" as he reflects on quality of opposition faced today

Modified Oct 16, 2024 18:31 GMT

Today's offense in the NHL is on the rise, but legendary goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist isn't blaming poor goaltending for this trend. Unlike many retired stars who claim that things were simply better in their era, the former superstar is approaching the situation with nuance and critical thinking.

Rather than claiming that today's best goalies just don't match up with his era, the former goalkeeper said the game might be harder than it ever has been. Lundqvist said via The Hockey News:

“I do think maybe the game is a little bit more open now, so the goalies face more quality chances at times."

He added that the physicality of the players is different now.

"The taller guys — that's usually heavier bodies, more stress on the joints," he added. "With the bigger guys, sometimes they create more stress on the joints than the smaller goalies. I was average size when I played. But now, 6-1 would have been one of the smaller guys. We've seen a lot of change in that as well."

Goalkeepers like Igor Shesterkin, Jeremy Swayman, or Linus Ullmark can only do so much to combat the rise in scoring, which is due to a plethora of things. Lundqvist, who played for the New York Rangers, isn't willing to blame talent.

Henrik Lundqvist opens up on how the modern goalie operates

Things have changed since Henrik Lundqvist guarded the net. The Hall of Fame goalie would do things differently if he played today, as the game has changed and the prevailing thinking has as well.

Henrik Lundqvist spoke on today's goalkeeping (Imagn)

Across all sports, not just the NHL, there's a greater emphasis on keeping players healthy and rested. When possible, stars get days off to prevent injury. Lundqvist believes teams now look at the stress of their games, not just the number.

Via The Hockey News, he said:

"It's not only a number: 'OK, he needs to play 55 games or 60 games.' You have to look at 'How is the team playing defensively? How heavy is each game?' That was part of the decision-making, my last five, six years," Lundqvist said.

Lundqvist said that players must be aware of everything they do, even in practice. It all creates stress on knees and hips, and over time, issues can arise from that.