The quote in the title is taken from the translation of an interview Lundqvist did with Expressen.se reporter Magnus Nystrom. That line as well as several other nuggets from the piece is why Rangers' fans love him and why he still playing at such a high level. A few more quotes are below with my thoughts underneath them.
“The day you think you can’t get any better is the day you’ll see your competition ahead of you. You can always get better, there are always things you can be better at.…
Great athletes are never satisfied. It's why many of them remain at the top of their game for so long. Part of it is the fear of failure and of losing their skills. The possible drop of even the slightest part of the skills that make them an elite athlete is difficult to take and could render the athlete mere mortal instead of top-notch. This is why Lundqvist is practicing during the summer at 7am and looking for any edge to take his game to the next level.
“80-90 % is in your head. Everyone at this level works out vigorously and has the skill. The mental aspect is what decides you grabbing that extra puck, and that’s what it often comes down to as well, when games end 2-1 or 3-2.…
Another component of an elite athlete we have discussed is the mental aspect. That mental edge, as Lundqvist highlighted, can take a good athlete and make him elite or take an elite one and make him average. That confidence or loss of it can make the difference between winning and losing.
Lundqvist “questioned why we’re (the Rangers) not more pissed off after losses..Look at the way Foppa (Peter Forsberg) played. He was as bullheaded as he was determined. He was damned determined and wanted to win at any cost. You could tell on the ice, so clearly. He just decided. This is going to happen. Not every player has that quality.
Lundqvist added that he wonders why more players today don't get angry after a loss. This is another area we have discussed a lot. How fans seem to take losses harder than players. Part of it may be the need to stay even-keeled, so that they are the same after a win or a loss. It's the don't let your highs get too highs or lows get too low.
But we love when players show emotion. When it looks like they really care. When a loss eats them up inside and creates that drive so that it doesn't happen again. For Lundqvist, that is the case and it's evident in the final quote below.
“My dream is to win the Stanley Cup and it’s my biggest motivation. It’s where I want to be. And I will do everything in my power for us to win it.…