The King is back.
New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist returned to practice with his team Tuesday morning after missing seven weeks of action due to a vascular injury in his neck.
Lundqvist told reporters after the skate that his goal is to play this weekend. The Rangers visit Boston Saturday and host Washington Sunday in a pair of games with playoff implications.
Lundqvist suffered his injury when he was struck under the mask with a shot during a Jan. 31 game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
With the star sidelined, backup Cam Talbot (19-7-4, .929 save percentage) has kept the Rangers rolling.
The Presidents’ Trophy is now New York’s to lose. The club is tied with Montreal and Anaheim with an NHL-best 99 points heading into Tuesday’s game versus the Los Angeles Kings and holds at least two games in hand over the other teams in the top six.
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The 33-year-old Lundqvist told reporters at a press conference last week that the blood vessel in his neck is fully healed and there is no longer a risk of him suffering a stroke as a result of the injury.
The King posted a record of 25-11-3 with a .922 save percentage, 2.25 goals-against average and five shutouts prior to hitting injured reserve.
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Despite Talbot’s stellar play, it is expected that Lundqvist will start in goal for the Rangers in Round 1 of the playoffs.
“I’m not going to force it,” Lundqvist said last week. “It’s not about me. It’s about what’s best for the team. I want to make sure when I go out there, I feel ready and I can make a difference and help the team.”
The goalie had planned to return to practice Friday but instead went to the side of his wife as she gave birth to the couple’s second child.
