Winter Classic 2012: Henrik Lundqvist's Brilliance Exposed to National Audience

In the days leading up to the 2012 NHL Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, much of the focus was on who would be in net for the Flyers.

The Rangers never have to worry about that. They're lucky to have one of the NHL's elite netminders in Henrik Lundqvist. All they have to on a given day is stick him in net and then fuggedaboutit.

That being said, Monday's Classic was uncharted territory for Lundqvist. The outdoor environs of Citizens Bank Park made for unusual variables like wind and a much different eye line, and Lundqvist took the ice with the knowledge that NBC's coverage of the Classic meant he was being watched by a few more million people than usual.

Because of these things, Lundqvist wasn't exactly a lock to be his typically brilliant self.

And for a few brief moments in the second period, it looked like he wasn't going to be.

In the span of two minutes, Lundqvist allowed two goals past to put the Rangers in a 2-0 hole. The first was by Brayden Schenn, his very first goal in the NHL. The other was by Claude Giroux, one of the league's top scorers. After they were finished, it looked like the rout could be on.

But nope, the Rangers immediately got going on the comeback trail, scoring three unanswered goals and taking the lead early in the third period. They cracked down on defense too, allowing just 10 shots on goal in the third period to make Lundqvist's job that much easier.

However, Lundqvist was put to the ultimate test when Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh was whistled for covering the puck in the crease with roughly 20 seconds remaining in the third period. Danny Briere was awarded a penalty shot and a chance to tie the game, but Lundqvist was ready for him.

Behold Lundqvist's brilliant save in video form:

The amazing part is how easy Lundqvist made that look. Make no mistake, that was no easy save.

But Lundqvist made it, and the Rangers won the game because of it. Ho hum.

Heroics like these are more or less par for the course for Lundqvist. He's only allowing 1.91 goals per game, a figure that ranks third in the NHL. To boot, the only two guys ahead of them on that list haven't spent nearly as much time in net as Lundqvist, and he has them beat by a couple hundred saves apiece.

While it's true that Lundqvist's efforts do get a boost from New York's tough defense, he deserves all the credit he can get. It's very rare that he is caught of guard, and you will miss his lightning-fast reactions if you happen to blink while he's in net.

So here's a hint: Don't blink when Lundqvist is in net. If you do, you're going to miss arguably the best goalie in the NHL in action.

If only there were more Winter Classics for him to show off in...

Though, my guess is that the Flyers have seen just about enough of Lundqvist.