Roberto Luongo out with ‘minor’ upper-body injury
James Reimer gets start in net; Harri Sateri recalled
SUNRISE — Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo missed Saturday night’s game against Arizona with an upper-body injury.
Coach Bob Boughner called the injury minor, day-to-day, and hoped to have Luongo back for Monday’s road game against the New York Islanders. James Reimer started Saturday against the Coyotes, and Harri Sateri was recalled from AHL affiliate Springfield to serve as Reimer’s backup.
“He’s definitely banged up a little bit,” Boughner said. “Nothing major. Minor, but to the point where we want to make sure that we got two goalies in the lineup that both can play. Louie is in a position where he couldn’t play today. That’s why Harri’s up.”
Luongo, 38, got battered during the Panthers’ three-game road trip through Montreal, Ottawa and Columbus. He took a stick to the face, a shove from behind and a puck up high that caused a small delay in the game.
“He had some contact,” Boughner said.
“He had some pucks hit him in different areas in the last week. He’s just sore. Like I said, I don’t think it’s anything serious.”
This season, Luongo has fought a fair share of injuries. He suffered a hand injury in October that sidelined him for six games. He had a groin injury in December that knocked him out for 27. He’s played 29 games this season and, for the second season in a row, should finish with the third-fewest games played in his career.
Luongo played 24 games his rookie season, 20 in 2012-13 with Vancouver and 40 last season in a campaign shortened by a hip injury.
“We want to make sure going on the next trip we don’t put him in a situation to get injured anymore or anything like that,” Boughner said. “We’re hoping Monday, he’s back with the team and he’s coming with us on the trip and he’s playing some games next week.”
When he has been healthy this season, Luongo has been spectacular. He has a .927 save percentage that would be his best since 2010-11 in Vancouver, when he finished third in the Vezina voting. He has three shutouts. His quality start percentage — roughly the percentage of starts with a save percentage above league average — is .655, also the highest since 2010-11.
But such are the perils of icing an aging goaltender, especially in a condensed schedule. No NHL team will play more games in the final month than Florida. From March 8 to April 8, the Panthers play 18 games, including four back-tobacks, burdening Luongo with a heavy workload.
Luongo has not played more than five games in a row this season.
Reimer, meanwhile, is coming off three consecutive solid performances in wins against Buffalo, Boston and at Ottawa. In those three games, Reimer has allowed just three goals on 106 shots (.972 save percentage, 1.00 goals against average). That includes a 46-save shutout of Boston on March 15.
“We got to make sure that we’re good in front of him,” Boughner said. “Reims is competing hard and he’s been good here in the last little while. I don’t think it matters to us if Louie’s in there or Reims is in there. If we play our game, we’ll be successful.”
Sateri is back in the NHL for the first time since Feb. 12. He helped rescue the Panthers season by sparking a four-game winning streak immediately after the All-Star break. On the year, Sateri owns a .911 save percentage and 2.92 GAA in the NHL.
mdefranks@sun-sentinel .com, Twitter @MDeFranks
James Reimer is coming off three consecutive solid performances in wins against Buffalo, Boston and at Ottawa in which he allowed just three goals on 106 shots.