Henrik Lundqvist wins 390th NHL game, passes Dominik Hasek
The King now leads all European-born goaltenders in wins.
Henrik Lundqvist closed out 2016 in style.
Not only did he make 25 of 27 stops for a .926 save percentage, allowing the New York Rangers to pull ahead after the first period for a 6-2 win - but he won the 390th game of his NHL career.
Or, to put it another way: he has done what no other European-born goaltender has ever done before.
Dominik Hasek was the all-time European goalie. Over the 735 games he played, he won 389 times. That’s a lot. That’s incredible. Hasek was, and still is, a legend.
But Lundqvist has passed him, and now stands alone. With 390 wins, he’s 12th all time; there are 11 Canadians ahead of him, now, and that’s it.
The next active European-born goalie? That would be Kari Lehtonen, all the way back at 282 victories. He has quite a ways to go; it’s possible he never gets there at all. There have been plenty of other great European goalies who played the game at a high level for years and never matched Hasek.
But Lundqvist stands alone, now. And it’s just so cool.
Feels good to end the year on a high note. Breaking my childhood hero Dominique Hasek's wins record means a lot!
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) January 1, 2017
The "Dominator" inspired me so much growing up, this is definitely a moment I'll always cherish.
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) January 1, 2017
Happy New Year Everyone!!!
— Henrik Lundqvist (@HLundqvist30) January 1, 2017
I wish you all the best in 2017!
Up next? Chris Osgood, at 401. Lundqvist needs another 14 wins to break into the top 10 all-time this season. Think he can do it?
