Hanks Olympic Hopes

Two Part Question:

1. How will Team Sweden (and Lundqvist in particular) do in Vancouver?

2.  How will that success/failure affect his return for the stretch run with the Rangers?

Will he be too worn down from having to carry the blueshirts all season, with almost no support or backup?  Or will it be the change of pace he needs to find his swagger.  Having a team that can score, backcheck, and defend must be refreshing after dealing with what he's been through all year.

Predictions?

It is not hard to argue that Hank has been a little more porous this year than most.  And while I'm the first to jump to his defense (i'd probably get there quicker than rosival...), there are three key factors for why he's having such a tough time.

1. Defense-  weak, soft, slow.  We get manhandled in front of our own crease, and Hank's been buried more times than I'd care to count.  Teams have carte blanche to walk in unmolested, and get away with running our goalie.  Without a D to stick up fro him, we're jeporadizing our star asset.

2.  Offense- without a consistent goal presence, and with early leads coming few and far between, Hank has no margin for error. He's put this whole team on his shoulders, and any mistake he makes is magnified by the fact that we havent been able to get it back.

3.  Backup-  Valiquette went bust.  Johnson's promising, but he's a kid.  Zaba, same deal.  Without a proven backup to take some of the pressure off, Hank's got the feeling he needs to go out every night, rain or shine.  You need someone you can comforatbly put in when he needs a rest, so that he's not so fatigued when the stretch run comes. 

The three factors have resulted in tension between the pipes.  He's playing on pins & needles, and overthinking his role in net.  Goaltending is about instinct, and when all these things are riding on your back, your instincts are what suffers.  Here's hoping the Olympics gets him back in stride and that it doesnt do more harm than good for our star.

Will he:

1. Be too mentally exhausted, causing Sweden to drop before the medal rounds?
2. Be inspired by his countrymen, lead them to a medal, and carry that confidence into a promising playoff run?

3.  Play a hard fought tourney, but be too fatigued to come back and carry us in the stretch?

Thoughs...comments...