Lundqvist will miss Thursday’s game

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist will not dress in Thursday’s contest versus the Flyers.

Lundqvist missed his third straight practice Wednesday with what the Rangers are calling a ‘minor issue’. Rookie netminder Cam Talbot will make his NHL debut and be backed up by Jason Missiaen, who was recalled from Hartford (AHL) on Wednesday afternoon.

The Rangers are already without Rick Nash, Ryan Callahan and Carl Hagelin, now they have lost their steady presence in the crease. ‘King Henrik’ has struggled to start the season, mostly due to a lack of defensive and offensive support.

After four straight seasons of a SV% above .920, Lundqvist is sitting at .890 through seven games. The 31-year-old has also never seen his GAA rise above 2.50 for a season, so his 3.45 GAA is definitely uncharacteristic of the Swede.

Once the Rangers get more comfortable under new head coach Alain Vigneault, you should see a major improvement in all three zones, which will help return Lundqvist to the elite category of fantasy goalies.