For Henrik Lundqvist, missing playoffs is a new experience

WASHINGTON — The Rangers were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Tuesday night. But Henrik Lundqvist, like all of the Rangers, had long ago come to terms with the reality that there would be no postseason for them this spring.

“As much as you want to believe you can get in [to the playoffs], you’ve got to be realistic, too,’’ Lundqvist said Wednesday, before he and the Rangers took on the Capitals at Capital One Arena. “I think the last two weeks here, we knew it was going to be tough.’’

The Rangers had made the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons, and in 11 of the 12 seasons since the NHL lockout which wiped out the 2004-05 campaign. And the one year in that time when they did miss the playoffs, in 2010, they were eliminated in the final game of the regular season, when they lost in a shootout to the Philadelphia Flyers. That meant Wednesday night would be the first regular season game the Rangers — and Lundqvist — have played over the last 13 seasons where they already had been eliminated from postseason contention.

Evgeny Kuznetsov’s goal 38 seconds into overtime gave the Capitals a 3-2 victory Wednesday and a sweep of the home-and-home set with the Rangers. Ryan Spooner’s goal at 10:35 of the third period had given the Rangers a 2-1 lead. But Lars Eller tied it for Washington with 1:05 left to force overtime.

Lundqvist, returning to the lineup after missing three games following a scary fall in a game last week against Columbus, made 30 saves for the Rangers.

To Lundqvist, the season effectively ended when the organization announced in its Feb. 8 letter to the fans that it would dismantle the existing roster and focus on rebuilding for the future.

“That was the new experience for me,’’ he said before the game. “Being a pro for over 18 years — I count my years in Sweden, that’s a high level as well — but just your mindset, it was something you had to deal with, mentally.

“But,’’ he added quickly, “we’re all on board with this. When you see the progress of the group, especially the young players, I think that gives you hope for what’s ahead of us.’’

The 36-year-old goaltender did admit he didn’t necessarily see it that way when the Rangers announced their intentions, but rather grew to accept the plan over time. He also admitted that when the Rangers swept their three games in Western Canada right after the Feb. 26 trade deadline, he held out hope that even in their rebuilding mode, the team might still find a way to somehow sneak into the playoffs. At that point, the Rangers were just three points out of a playoff spot with 16 games to play.

“But there was a couple more weeks there where we just didn’t get enough points,’’ he said. “And then you start to be more realistic about the situation and our chances.’’

Looking back, Lundqvist said halfway through the season, he thought the Rangers “were in a pretty good spot.’’ But injuries took their toll, he said. Center Mika Zibanejad suffered a concussion that forced him to miss nine games from late November to mid-December, and left wing Chris Kreider missed 24 games over January and February after undergoing surgery to correct a malformed rib that had caused him to have a blood clot in late December. Defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk, who signed a four-year, $26.6 million free agent contract last summer, struggled before revealing he had been playing with an injured knee. He had surgery in late January and will miss the rest of the season.

Lundqvist has steadfastly refused to look ahead. He won’t discuss whether he will play in the World Championships, and on Wednesday, he didn’t want to talk about what he thinks the next steps in the Rangers’ rebuild should be.

“For me right now, I just want to focus on these last games,’’ he said. “Compete, and feel as good as you can, personally, and as a group. And then it’s time for what’s ahead. But right now, you’ve got to focus on the game. Otherwise, you’re not going to make the most of this. We still have a job to do, here. There’s definitely going to be a time to reflect and also, hopefully, put a plan together for everybody.

“But now is not the time.’’

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.