By BRUCE BERLET, Courant Staff Writer
Jamie Lundmark has seemingly faced a challenge since draft day in 1999, when the Rangers traded promising Wolf Pack center Marc Savard to Calgary as part of a deal to move up and get the ninth pick.
After two more strong junior seasons and a solid rookie season with the Pack (27 goals, 32 assists), the Rangers began bouncing Lundmark around, though indifferent play didn't help his cause.
Lundmark was among the best players in Rangers camp at the start of his second pro season while playing alongside off-season acquisition Bobby Holik. Lundmark was told to get a place to live in New York, then never played with Holik once the season started.
After a few mediocre performances, Lundmark played with ever-changing lines, and at every forward position. After getting one assist in his first 14 games with the Rangers, Lundmark was reassigned to the Wolf Pack and skated on a line with Ken Gernander and Rico Fata.
Lundmark ended up playing more in New York than Hartford, but took a step back last season while getting limited ice time. He was often on a checking line with rookie wing Jed Ortmeyer, who had been called up from the Pack. Lundmark finished an injury-plagued season with two goals and eight assists in 56 games and wondered what his future held.
The NHL lockout compounded his uncertainty and led to a 14-game stint with HC Bolzano in the Italian League, where he had team highs of 10 goals and 19 points. Though Lundmark enjoyed the different lifestyle in Italy, he soon realized the game wasn't best for his growth into a quality NHL player, so he returned to the Pack Nov.16.
Wolf Pack coach Ryan McGill quickly offered a challenge, saying 30 or 40 goals wasn't an unrealistic expectation for Lundmark. It didn't happen. After getting three goals in his first four games, Lundmark went scoreless for 22 games, not including being scratched twice in early December. After several chats with McGill, Lundmark rebounded to finish as the Pack's leading scorer in the second half (11 goals, 21 assists).
McGill gave Lundmark another challenge Sunday. With Garth Murray's eye swollen shut after being hit by a deflected puck in Game 2 of the Atlantic Division semifinals Saturday, McGill put Lundmark between Gernander and Ortmeyer as the main checking line against Lowell's Eric Staal, Chuck Kobasew and Colin Forbes, one of the AHL's top lines.
Lundmark won a faceoff from Staal to set up Gernander's winner, then had a steal and empty-net goal to seal a 4-1 victory that gave the Pack a 2-1 lead heading into Game 4 tonight in Lowell. Murray is expected to play, but it's uncertain who will center Gernander and Ortmeyer.
"Every time we've challenged Jamie this year, he's come through and really responded," McGill said. "He took a needless penalty in the third period, but he did respond and did a good job, and he needs to understand that. He's sore [Monday], but that's a good thing, and he knows that."
Lundmark said he enjoyed being reunited with his gritty linemates and will be part of history tonight when Gernander plays his 121st Calder Cup game, surpassing Fred Glover as the all-time leader.
"I was challenged before the game to play hard, shut down their top line and try to create offense," said Lundmark, the Pack's sixth-leading scorer (14 goals, 27 assists in 64 games). "I think we had a good game."
Lundmark said he set some goals after his scoring slump that he achieved. Then he set goals for the playoffs, including trying to become a defensive presence.
"I think that's a good way for me to go about it, just challenge myself every game to get better, and it has been working," Lundmark said. "Playing with Ortmeyer and [Ryan] Hollweg for awhile certainly helped because they open up ice for you to skate and handle the puck. Same for some other guys. Now G, Orts and I want to make sure they have to come to us, not us have to worry about them. We played solid [Sunday]. We weren't too defensive. We kept on them."
