LOS ANGELES — Henrik Lundqvist said he counts himself among those who can’t come to the urban sprawl of the City of Angels and not think about June 2014, when the Rangers were oh-so-close to winning a championship.
That Stanley Cup final against the Kings, which ended in five games, was a study in heartbreak, with post hits still ringing in their ears and the image of Lundqvist facedown on the ice after Alec Martinez’s clinching goal in double-overtime still burned into the memory. Even more indelible is the image of Lundqvist slumped over in the locker room, his pads still on an hour after the game, sweat dripping down from the equipment hanging above him.