"The character of the team, the pushbacks, how they come back from a tough game, how they answer back, those are good signs for a team that is trying to consistently have success when you have young players," Lundqvist said. "I think a lot of the players that came in a few years ago, they're starting to understand their roles and accepting their roles. That's a huge part of being a good team, understanding your role on the team. That's why with older teams it's easier to know your roles. That's what I think is happening with the Rangers. They're starting to understand their roles."
Lundqvist still calls New York home after retiring from the NHL on Aug. 20 following an attempt to continue his playing career after open heart surgery in early January. He will have his No. 30 retired at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 28 before the Rangers play the Minnesota Wild. He has stayed involved with the Rangers as a part-time studio analyst for their games on MSG Network, working with host John Giannone and former goalie partner Steve Valiquette.
"I feel like I'm still a part of it, so I catch myself saying 'we' and 'us' instead of the Rangers," Lundqvist said. "It's funny, I asked a network executive, 'Do you say the Rangers or do you say us?' He said, 'No, we say the Rangers,' yet still I keep saying us. It's just a habit from the past 15 years. Even though you talk about it, you're rooting for them."
Lundqvist said he has enjoyed his television work, which extended to a national audience when he joined Liam McHugh, Rick Tocchet and Paul Bissonnette in studio for the "NHL on TNT" on Nov. 24. He analyzed a 6-2 win by the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Los Angeles Kings and played some Metallica on his guitar, with Bissonnette providing the lyrics to "Nothing Else Matters."
"You try to use the knowledge that you've gained over the years to try to explain certain things as best you can for people to understand," Lundqvist said. "If it's details or emotions for players within the game or before the game, I think that's where my strength is because I just lived it for so long. Breaking down certain plays, I think a lot of people can do that. That's not my strength. It's more about talking about the feelings, the emotions, the thought process, and stuff like that. I enjoy it. That's what life is about, surround yourself with people that you enjoy hanging out with and do fun things."
He's doing that at home too with his family, wife Therese and their two daughters. They recently returned from a week-long trip to Miami, the kind of getaway Lundqvist said he wanted to do after announcing his retirement.
"I'm still figuring out the balance in life of work and family," Lundqvist said. "It's been great. I've been staying pretty busy with different projects overseas and in New York. I have the TV and travel with the family. I feel like the mix in my life is really nice. My goal is to work and surround myself with people that will ultimately make me happy and inspire me."
Include the Rangers' early-season success as inspiring to Lundqvist, he said.
"They're off to an amazing start," he said. "It's been impressive to see how they're finding ways to win."
