Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Luongo longs for healthy season, and a Stanley Cup
SUNRISE — While young Florida Panthers such as Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Jonathan Huberdeau are all confident that a summer of rest and rehabilitation will strengthen their various injuries, 38-year-old goalie Roberto Luongo has some reservations.
Luongo said Tuesday that for the second consecutive summer, he will focus on rehabilitating a hip injury so he can continue his likely Hall of Fame career that is missing one major accomplishment from his resume — a Stanley Cup title.
“Everything is positive,” said Luongo, who made a remarkable recovery from hip surgery last May only to re-injure the hip in the same area, but not as severely, at midseason. “I’ll do what it takes because I love this game and still feel I could play at a high level.
“There’s always a little doubt in the back of your mind that’s a little bit scary that you’re not quite sure how things are going to react, but from what I’ve been told I’m 100 percent confident that I’ll be good to go.”
Luongo played just 40 games this season, missing the final 19, the fewest games he’s played in (excluding the 2012-13 lockout shortened season) since his rookie year in 1999-2000 when he played 24 games for the New York Islanders.
He was desperately trying to regain more range of motion in his hip so he could help the Panthers during their playoff bid.
“It was a huge disappointment, obviously, as far as personally and the team,” said Luongo, who went 17-15-6 with a 2.68 goalsagainst-average this season. “It hasn’t been easy the last month, especially trying to get back, seeing the team fall out of the race, not making the playoffs. We all take a little bit of responsibility for that and feel we’re all part of the problem and also the solution.
“Obviously, my focus shifts to making sure I get healthy and 100 percent for next year. I feel like I have a lot of good hockey left in me when healthy.”
Luongo, a four-time AllStar whose fifth on the alltime victory list with 453, isn’t concerned about the naysayers.
“I want to win; that’s what I have left to prove,” he said. “I haven’t won the Stanley Cup. I think with this group there’s potential there and I want to be part of it.”
He’s also content to share the net with James Reimer, 29, who started 13 of the first 14 games in March before sustaining a concussion. Reimer was 18-16-5 with a 2.53 GAA and .920 save percentage, including consecutive shutouts in the final two games of the season.
“It’s great going into next year. We’ll play a lot of games, both of us,” Luongo said. “Knowing whatever happens either one of us can carry the load.”