GOLDEN MEMORIES REVISITED
Roberto Luongo will never forget playing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final and winning an Olympic gold medal in overtime for Canada all while calling Vancouver his home. He’s back in town with the Florida Panthers, who face the Canucks tonight BEN KUZMA,
Roberto Luongo wasn’t sure about his playing status Tuesday, but he was sure of what gets his heart pumping.
The obvious is returning from a groin injury to help backstop the Florida Panthers to an NHL playoff position. That’s what drives the 38-year-old former Vancouver Canucks goaltender.
However, nothing stoked his fire of desire to excel quite like Canada’s heart-stopping 2010 Winter Olympics 3-2 overtime triumph against the United States in his home arena.
There was Sidney Crosby’s golden goal at 7:40 of the extra session that was preceded by Zach Parise tapping in a rebound with 24.4 seconds remaining in regulation time to add an incredible level of drama to a defining moment for the game in this country.
It’s why as much as Luongo was prepping to possibly face the Canucks Wednesday night, he couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane.
“I was actually watching some (2010) highlights the other day,” said Luongo. “The Olympics were on and I just wanted to reminisce a bit. It was a huge moment. Not only for myself, but for Canada.
“A lot of great memories. A lot of stuff put together and the fact it was in Canada and Vancouver and family and everything combined, it’s hard to write a better script.”
And even though Canada is not being represented by current NHL players at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, it hasn’t stopped Luongo from showing a level of interest.
“I’ve been watching and hockey hasn’t even started yet,” he said. “Just being part of it is so special and it doesn’t matter where it is held. Guys love the experience and it’s unfortunate NHL players aren’t there — it’s half of the ex-Canuck players representing Canada.” Well, not exactly.
Former Canucks Mason Raymond, Linden Vey, Andrew Ebbett, Maxim Lapierre, Marc-Andre Gragnani are being coached by former Vancouver bench boss Willie Desjardins.
“No matter who plays, you want
to root for your country,” said Luongo. “I’m sure they’re ecstatic. I can’t even imagine what they’re going through and how much fun it is for them. I’m happy for them and I’m sure they’ll represent our country well and put in a great effort and hopefully bring back gold.”
For Luongo to steer the Panthers back to the playoffs, he’ll need to perform the way he did before suffering a groin injury Dec. 4. He had a .939 save percentage and 2.11 goalsagainst average over a seven-game span before that. Then came a shot from New York Islanders’ defenceman Ryan Pulock that forced him to over-stretch to make a right-pad save.
Then on Jan. 23, backup goaltender James Reimer pulled his right groin while making a save off Dallas
Stars defenceman Greg Pateryn. He returned Monday to backstop a wild 7-5 win in Edmonton, but now the question is when does Luongo return?
After all, he’s 38 and not 28. He still has four years remaining on his massive 12-year, US$64-million contract at a $4.53-million cap hit and the Canucks are retaining $800,000 annually.
“I feel good,” said Luongo. “Health wise, I feel 100 per cent, but it’s been
a while since I’ve played and I’m trying to get up to speed as far as game shape, timing reads. Today (Tuesday) was just my third full practice and it’s improving every day. But I feel I need a bit more to get to.
“It’s kind of weird. I hurt my thumb earlier in the season and missed two months and for some reason when I came back, I thought I was playing at another level.”
Which, or course, makes you wonder if time is taking a toll on Luongo. Can he really shoulder the load down the stretch or will Reimer have to play a significant support role?
“I’ve been dealing with a few issues the last few years, but they’re all manageable,” stressed Luongo. “I would love to play as long as I can. I can play at a high level. And that’s important to me.”
Luongo admitted to being stunned on March 4, 2014, when the Canucks moved his contract and forward Steven Anthony to the Panthers. The return was Jacob Markstrom and Shawn Matthias. The deal caught Luongo off guard because he had said “my contract sucks” and all parties seemed stuck on finding a resolution.
“It’s crazy,” Luongo said of how quickly four years have passed. “I was walking around the city and it still feels like home.”
Luongo is on the back nine of his career, but we’re not sure which hole because he still has game and couldn’t be in a better place.
“I wouldn’t be dealing with all this stuff (injuries) if I didn’t have passion to keep going,” he said.