Lundqvist Out With Minor Injury

from Steve Zipay of Blue Notes, Less than 24 hours after coach John Tortorella declared that Henrik Lundqvist would start the final game of this three-game trip, he reversed gears and said backup Steve Valiquette would be in the nets for his second consecutive game. “Vally is going. It’s just rest for Hank,” was all Tortorella would say, but the Rangers No. 1 goalie is fighting a nagging injury. Lundqvist (8-5-1, 2.52 GAA) mentioned the other day that the ice pack on his “stiff” right upper thigh/groin was for something minor, and indeed, both goalies participated in the skate at the Saddledome and Valiquette left the ice first while Lundqvist chatted at center ice with Sean Avery and other players. In the dessing room, Lundqvist removed his equipment and disappeared for treatment for more than an hour. When he emerged he said that was pretty confident that he would play against Atlanta on Thursday, a nine-day layoff. continued