NHL Playoffs 2012: Henrik Lundqvist Carries Top-Seeded Rangers to Game 7

This was not supposed to happen to the Rangers.

Ottawa was supposed to put up a pity fight for the sake of making the playoffs; not put the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed one game away from elimination.

Luckily for Rangers fans, their top-seeded team lives to see another day.

Besides illegal hits and endless suspensions, goaltending has been the talk of the town in this year's NHL playoffs.

Henrik Lundqvist is no exception to the rule.

New York's netminder has been the backbone for the team that had such high expectations coming into the postseason. Their offense has been a shadow of what it was during the regular season, but Lundqvist has remained the same workhorse he's been all-season long.

His 1.82 GAA ranks seventh amongst all goalies this postseason and with the exception of Brad Richards and Anton Stralman has been the most critical Ranger on the ice.

After two quick power-play goals by the Rangers in the second period, the Senators had to play catch up for the rest of the way in order to seal New York's fate and end the series on their home ice.

The Senators out-shot the Rangers 14-7 in the third period, throwing a flurry of shots at Lundqvist and setting up heavy traffic in front of the net.

Lundqvist was as sharp as he's been all season, denying shot after shot with extraordinary range and vision. Jason Spezza's goal with 38 seconds left pulled the Senators within one, giving Scotiabank Place some last-second hope.

There was no comeback in store in Ottawa in Game 6, setting up the second Game 7 in the Eastern Conference opening round this postseason.

New York has rode on the back of their stellar goalie all season and with Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, the Ranges have to be excited about their chances at coming out of the first round.

Craig Anderson has played great for the Senators so far, and has kept with Lundqvist shot for shot.

Despite a disappointing regular season, Anderson has turned his game around and is one game away from joining the Los Angeles Kings as the second eighth-seeded team from taking down the conference's finest.

If New York's offense can get the best of Anderson, which hasn't proved to be an easy task, chances are they will narrowly escape the first round.

In hockey, you are only as good as your goaltending. With the exception of the Flyers, who seem to score a million goals while having poor goaltending, the recipe for success remains the same.

The Rangers will go as far as Lundqvist allows them to. First, they must win Game 7.

Do or die in the biggest venue in the world. Just another day for King Henrik.