There are few more heartbreaking scenes in sports than watching a beloved star player leave the game for good without ever capturing a championship.
That’s why when goaltender Henrik Lundqvist skated to the bench after the Rangers were officially eliminated by the Senators in Game 6 of their second-round playoff series Tuesday night, you had to wonder: Is the Rangers' Stanley Cup window shut? Will Lundqvist ever win a Cup?
MORE: This Henrik Lundqvist sequence is bonkers
Lundqvist is 35 and his best years are clearly behind him. His main supporting cast members, in particular Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh, are still above-average contributors, but they aren’t getting younger.
Father Time doesn’t discriminate; it catches up to everybody.
Before you know know it, the kids in Toronto are going to be ruling the Eastern Conference. The Connor McDavid-led Oilers will be a Stanley Cup contender for the foreseeable future. At least other aging teams like the Blackhawks and Penguins have Stanley Cups to show off.
What the Rangers have done since Lundqvist first took the crease in 2006 is remarkable, but also disappointing. The Blueshirts have gone to the playoffs 11 times in the past 12 seasons, but have just one Stanley Cup Final and two conference finals trips to show for it. That stretch includes three different head coaches, a reminder that winning and winning championships don’t always go hand in hand.
MORE: Best New York Rangers players of all time
For those 12 years, Lundqvist has been the Rangers' cornerstone. The guy fans around the league associate with the Rangers. He has won an Olympic gold medal and a Vezina Trophy, and he owns franchise and NHL records. He is a Hall of Famer.
But a Cup? He doesn’t have one.
The closest he ever got was in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, which turned out to be the worst playoff series of his career. He had just an .889 save percentage in four losses. The Rangers lost to the Kings in five.
Having an all-world goalie doesn’t always translate to Cups. It’s not like having a Tom Brady at quarterback or a LeBron James with the ball in his hands. A goaltender can only do so much.
Roberto Luongo hasn't won a Cup. Curtis Joseph never did. Dominik Hasek won six Vezinas and two Hart Trophies with the Sabres and never won a Cup. He finally won one with the Red Wings at the tail end of his career.
THREE STARS: Erik Karlsson's best act yet has Senators in East finals
There wouldn’t be so much worry if Lundqvist was still at the top of his game, but besides a few playoff moments this year, he is on the downswing. He posted career worsts in goal-against average (2.74), save percentage (.910) during the regular season. His numbers have steadily declined each of the past three years. Once a lock to be in the Vezina discussion, he hasn’t been a candidate since 2015.
Lundqvist is on his way to being mentioned with Cup-less greats like Marcel Dionne and Adam Oates, and that’s a heartbreaking place to be.